The Other You
by Dyna63
Summary: Brennan is found beaten and unconscious in her ransacked apartment. Who would do this? Will they try again? Only Brennan knows and she wakes up with amnesia.
1. Chapter 1

The morning started out like any other morning. Booth pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex. He slid out of the SUV with ease and grabbed the two coffees that had been securely riding in the center console.

As he got off the elevator he was greeted by a sight that sent his heart to his throat. The door to her apartment partially open, splintered wood everywhere. He dropped the coffees and drew his weapon. Silently he made his way to the door; entering the apartment, clearing room after room, the contents of every room strewed on the floors, draw after draw dumped out. His heart racing as he entered her bedroom, he was not prepared to see his Bones lying unconscious. "Bones?" he asked as he continued to clear the room, his weapon leveled in front of him. "Bones?" he tried again. He went to the bathroom door, clearing it, then to her large closet, nothing. He dropped down next to her, taking in a deep breath and putting his fingers to her neck to feel for a pulse. Breathing out a sigh of relief she was alive, grabbing his cell, he called for an ambulance, then called Cam.

He knelt beside her, looking down at her almost unrecognizable bruised face. "Hold on baby, hold on." Lightly placing his forehead to hers, I will find out who did this, I promise. You just fight, I can't lose you."

"Hello, Paramedics," Booth heard from the front of the apartment.

"Yeah, back in the last bedroom. Hurry, she is unconscious and has been badly beaten." _How could someone have hurt her this bad?_ She was well skilled in martial arts to defend herself. Booth reluctantly backed away and let the medical personnel do their jobs. Booth just stood staring in shock, watching the paramedics work on her. He felt helpless he couldn't help her, he felt guilty that he didn't protect her, he felt sad that he never told her he loved her. He was still frozen in place as they rolled the gurney out with her on it. He never heard Cam coming, until she was beside him.

"Hey Big Guy, Come on, lets get you out of here. Our team has work to do and you need to be with her." He just looked down at Cam, She gently steered him towards the front of the apartment, he never saw the looks of the squints, he didn't see anything but the gurney disappear through the door. "Charlie, get him to the hospital." Cam asked. Charlie simple nodded and put his arm over Booths shoulder as he guided him out of the apartment.

At the hospital, Booth answered all the questions asked regarding her and her medical history. He never looked at anyone; he was focused and almost unnaturally controlled. Some might call him catatonic, but he was responding to the outside world, just not seeing it. Charlie watched his mentor with concern, he had never seen Booth behave this way and frankly it scared him a little. His body was tense, his jaw clenched, but his eyes were haunted and distant, almost like he had removed himself from this reality.

For Booth he was relying on a long forgotten ability. The ability to remove himself from the situation, a skill he learned when his father would beat him. He had managed to sharpen this skill in the military and during his time as a sniper. No one saw the weak side of Seeley Booth and he wasn't about to start now if he could help it. He didn't realize or care, for that matter, that he was causing concern to Charlie. He just had to get control of himself so he could hunt down the person or persons that did this to his Bones.

Six hours had passed since Bones had been found beaten and unconscious. She was found to have several broken ribs; her fingers on her right hand were broken, along with both the ulna and radius of her right arm. She had deep tissue bruising through out her back and abdominal area. While her facial tissue was damaged she did not suffer any facial fractures. At this stage she was still unconscious and there was no answer as to when she would wake up. She had been moved to Critical Care Unit and Booth was allowed to see her.

Booth walked into her room, the sight of her hooked up to all sorts of machines and wires' coming off her from the monitors was not something he was prepared to see even though he knew in the back of his mind this was normal. It just wasn't something he expected to see his Bones having to go through. He moved to the side by the bed and held her good hand. As he looked at her, his steel exterior started to fall away. His eyes filled with tears and he didn't even bother to fight it anymore. He bent his head down and his body started to convulse with all the sadness, fear, and anger he had been holding in from the moment he found her.

The nursing staff heard his guttural moans, but none of them entered the room. The head nurse came around the corner as her subordinates were frozen in the hall listening to all the pain Booth was releasing. Her eyes darted around to her nurses; she walked with more purpose as she snapped her fingers to get them back to work. She stopped and looked at the door where the sounds were coming from. The pain she heard in his cries tore at her heart.

Nurses slipped in and out checking Brennan's vitals and bandages. They all ignored Booth; they don't think he even realized they were there. He never moved he just stared at her face and held her hand.

At the end of visitation hours and the head nurse came in. "Excuse me, Sir. Visiting hours are over."

Booth shook his head, "I am staying right here."

"Sir, I can't allow you to do that."

Booth stood and turned to the nurse, never letting go of Brennan's hand, "Look I know you have policies, but I am FBI, this is my partner, someone put her here and I am not leaving her alone so they can get to her and finish her off."

"Sir, I….."

"Look, lady no disrespect, but I am not leaving her. You clear it through whomever you have to but…I am not leaving."

"Sir, I can guarantee this hospital is secure…"

"NO WHERE is secure! I am staying, you clear it with your boss or whomever, but I am staying with her. If that isn't okay, then I will take her out of here and don't think I won't." He pulled his gun and put it on the tray next to the bed.

The nurse left the room agitated by this man behavior, but also a little jealous at how protective he was of his partner. Just once she would love to have a man behave that way towards her. She contacted the chief of staff who had, by chance, just got off the phone with Assistant Director Hacker of the FBI. Booth would be allowed to stay with Brennan for however long he saw fit.

The nurse returned. "Sir, my chief of staff has talked to your boss and you are allowed to stay with her." Booth nodded "I'll have housekeeping digging up a recliner for you; it would be more comfortable than that chair."

"Thank you"

"Just one more thing," Booth turned a warning eye on her. "You need to make sure you eat, you will not do her any good if you are killing yourself and I know you have not left her side since she got here." Booth never acknowledged her; he just turned his attention back to his Bones. The nurse watched the two for a moment and then silently slipped out of the room.

* * *

><p>Booth had been by Bone's bedside for two days, he had not left, not even to get food. The head nurse had made sure food was brought in, but it was never touched. The nurses tried to talk with him; they pleaded with him and by now most were scared of him. He never spoke to them; he only glared sending chills down their spines. The head nurse who could hold her own against most anyone and was a veteran of war even back away from him. She finally called his boss, not knowing where else to turn, but knowing if something wasn't done soon, they would have 2 patients.<p>

Hacker had called Cam, he knew that she had a long history with Booth and figured if anyone could get through to him it would be her. Cam was taken back by the Booth she saw when she walked in. His disheveled look was shocking, but the disturbing look in his eye is what worried her. She knew she was not dealing with the Seeley she knew, she was dealing with a much more dangerous version, an uncontrolled version that would be out for revenge, not justice.

"Seeley, we need to talk." He turned and glared at her. "Those looks might scare the nurses, but you know it isn't going to work on me. I see that look, I know you want revenge on the person that did this," she motioned towards Brennan. "But, what would she want?" He turned his eyes back to Brennan's motionless form, then to Cam. "You know she would want justice. You can't just go all rogue and hunt this person down. You have to get her justice, not end up locked away, what good would you be to her there? She needs you, even if she won't admit it and if you go for revenge you will be abandoning her like everyone else." His jaw twitched and his leg started to bounce as he was trying to control his emotions. "Let it out, Seeley," Cam said as she moved towards him with opened arms. He collapsed into her arms and clung to her.

Once he pulled back, Cam looked at him and crossed her arms. "Now you are going go home, take a shower you need one, and you will eat. I do not want to see you back here until this evening." Booth was about to protest, "I will call you if there is any change, she will not be alone. Angela, Hodgins, Wendel, Sweets, and I will take turns staying with her. Now go, get out of here, your SUV is outside the main entrance, I had Charlie bring it over," she tossed him the keys.

Booth leaned down and kissed Brennan's forehead, "I will be back later, I promise." He squeezed her hand before Cam started to shoo him from the room.


	2. Chapter 2

As Booth stood in his shower, he had to admit he felt better now that he had the hot water beating down on him. His mind was clearer than it had been in a couple of days, and Cam was right Bones would want justice and he could give her that by finding the person that did this.

After grabbing some food from the diner, Booth headed for the Lab, he hoped that they might have some leads as to who might have done this. As he walked through the sliding doors a flood of memories assaulted him, and one stood out, the only other time he had to walk through those doors without he,r when she was in danger, The Grave Digger case.

He shook off the memory as he made his way into the lab. It was eerie, wasn't all hustle and bustle like it normally was. He headed for Angela's office, it was the closest and he peeked in and there the artist was sitting at her desk. "Hey Ange."

"Booth," she breathed after her sharp intake of air and jumped off her chair. "Hey, how are you holding up?"

"I'm ... better, took Cam shaking me pretty good. So, you guys find anything."

"We are trying; I do know Cam found skin and other particulates under her fingernails. Booth, you know she wouldn't go down without a fight."

"I know."

"Whoever did this is hurt and probably hurt bad, we will find them." Booth just nodded.

Hodgins walked in, "Booth the particulates I found are from your common everyday materials that our clothes are made from. Mostly it is a polyester/cotton blend, a heavier quality than you would find in you everyday clothing, so working on narrowing that down, however, it will take some time. Dr. B is strong, she will pull through this. I am going to go back and see if I can find anything else." He patted Booth on the shoulder as he left.

"I have been going over the cameras around her building and I am not seeing anything out the ordinary, no unusual people, nothing. I will be starting on the elevator camera soon."

"They have an elevator camera?"

Angela grinned, "Yes, they do, is there something I might find interesting?" her eyes sparkled as she watched Booth.

"No, No…Angela, NO." He cheeks blushed slightly.

"Are you sure?" she elbowed him

"Yes I am sure," but his thoughts drifted back to a different elevator and a talk him and his partner had about Him, her, love, and fate. He had finally decided it was time to tell her he was not angry anymore. As soon as she woke up he was going to tell her, they had wasted too much time. He loved her and he knew she loved him, he was not wasting another day, not when the reality of her being taken away was so very real a couple of days ago.

* * *

><p>Booth's phone broke his thoughts. "Booth" He stared at Angela as he listened. "I am on my way," he hung up the phone. "She's awake." He hugged Angela as he ran out of her office.<p>

Angela headed out her door "Jack, where are you? Bren is awake, we need to get there."

As Booth arrived in CCU, Cam was in the waiting room watching for him. "Hey Cam, are the doctors in with her?"

Cam looked at him with that look she gets that she has to tell you something, but doesn't know how. "Cam what is it?" Booth stammered a little as he spoke trying to keep the wave of panic rising from his gut under control.

"Seeley" she took a hold of his biceps, "She has amnesia."

"Wha-What?" He staggered backwards into a chair. His breathing faltered as if he had received a sucker punch to the gut. His eyes darted from his hands to Cam and back, trying to make sense of what she just said.

"She doesn't know who she is; who we are, not even the day of the week? Right now she is very scared." She paused while Booth processed this. "They don't know if it is permanent or not."

"Can I see her?"

"As soon as the doctors come out." he looked at the floor and nodded.

The gang gathered in the waiting room, together, but apart, dealing with the news in their own way. Max arrived shortly after, he had been out of the country and finally arrived home, he went straight to Booth.

"What happened?"

"Someone broke into her apartment and assaulted her and went through everything. I found her." Booths eyes got that distant look to them again and Cam was immediately at his side.

"Max, we don't know what happened yet, but our team is on it and you know they are the best." Cam tried to sound reassuring.

"I see your team sitting here in a waiting room doing nothing." Max snapped, Cam just looked at him blinking, not knowing what to say. They were her friends too, not just co-workers.

Booth stepped in front of Cam and leveled his gaze on Max. "Max these are Bones' friends, they are hurting too."

"I am sorry, I am just worried, he looked at Cam, and I hope you can accept my apology." She just pursed her lips and nodded.

"Max, Bones has amnesia. Not sure of any more at this point, we are waiting for the doctor to come out and talk to us." Max's face fell upon hearing that news. He just gets his daughter back a few years ago and now she probably doesn't remember him. He sat down in the nearest chair.

The doctor finally came through the door and Booth stood to meet him. Shortly the whole gang was around Booth and the doctor. The doctor looked at them all and asked if they were family.

"I am her father." Max offered.

"Okay, well she has amnesia. At this point we have no clue if her memory will return. It could come slowly, it could hit her all at once, or it might never return."

"So do we need to do anything special for her?" Angela asked.

"Just act like yourselves, don't tiptoe around her, she understands she has no memory, but trying to ignore it or pretend will not help her. We have people that can help you and her adjust if needed. But for now just let her know who you are and who she is to you. Above all else, do not lie to her about anything. You might think it won't be harmful but if her memory comes back, it could be." All eyes looked at Booth, they all knew he loved her, but had never told her, did he tell her now if it came up?

"So you can see her, a couple at a time, just don't tire her out to much." Max went in first. He came out overwhelmed with emotion and sat next to Booth. "She didn't know me, nothing, not even a glimmer."

Booth patted his leg, "she will get better. This is our Bones, she is strong, and she will get through this, she has to." He looked out the window, not really sure if he believed those words. Max looked at Booth knowing this had to tearing him apart, he knew Booth loved her.

"Why have you never told her?" Max began. Booth turned to look at him. "Why have you never told her you love her? I know she loves you, everyone does."

"She doesn't believe in love and I didn't want to lose her." Booth let out a half hearted chuckle. "I had decided this morning as soon as she woke up I was going to tell her. After finding her the way I did, I realized we had been wasting too much time." He just shook his head. "Now she has amnesia, I can't tell her.

"Don't give up on her."

"I won't Max."

* * *

><p>After everyone had seen her, it was his turn, as he entered the room her eyes lifted to his. His breath caught in his throat, although her face was still bruised and swollen, she was still beautiful to him and her blue eyes were such a welcoming sight after days of not seeing them.<p>

"Hi" she simply said. _He was familiar. Name, what is his name? I should know his name. He was the first person she had seen that tugged on her mind and she couldn't remember his name. _

"Hey." He breathed out.

"I know your face" tears were filling her eyes, "but I don't who you are." Those words cut him. He couldn't imagine look at her and not knowing her.

"Hey, hey" he sat on the bed and took her hand. "Shh, it is okay, give it time."

"You don't understand ... you are the first person I have seen that is familiar and I can't remember your name, why you look familiar, or who you are to me."

Fighting the urge to just hold her and cry with her he took a deep breath and began, "My name is Seeley Booth. I work for the FBI and you have been my partner for the last five and half years."

Wiping the tears from her face her watery blue eyes meant his, she was searching his eyes for some glimmer that she might remember him. "But, I am not FBI. The girl with the long dark hair, umm Angela I think, told me I worked at the Jeffersonian. I apologize, I have been told so much, it is a lot to take in."

"It is okay, we can take this as slow or as fast as you like, you tell me when you have had enough." She nodded and he gently took her hand in his, "You are a forensic anthropologist and you do work at the Jeffersonian. You find the answers in the skeletons and with the help of the others, our team; we solve what are considered difficult murder cases. We are the best."

"So Seeley we are partners, that is how we know each other? Are you married? Do you have children?." Her calling him Seeley seemed strange.

"First, you call me Booth and I call you Bones."

"Bones? Why would you call me Bones? Everyone seems to have a different name for me. "Tempe, Bren, Dr. B, Dr. Brennan, and now Bones, are there more?"

"No, there aren't anymore. Bones is a nickname I gave you when we first started working together, you work with Bones, so I called you Bones," he chuckled, "I am the only one that calls you Bones and you hated it for a long time. You use to yell 'Don't call me Bones', sometimes through clenched teeth, and then one day you warmed up to it, and I have been calling you it ever since."

"Oh" she looked at her casted arm and taped fingers, she didn't remember that and for some reason it really upset her that she didn't remember something that seemed so intimate. Smiling she looked back at him, "Bones it is then."

"Yes we are partners, not married, unless you count you." Her head shot up and a bewildered look crossed her face. "That…didn't…come out right. Wha-What. I. mean is…you and I are together so much it is like we. are. married." She nodded and he took a deep breath. "I do have a son…"

"Parker" he turned to look at her. "Your son's name is Parker."

"Yes, do you remember him?" He looked hopeful at her.

She shook her head, "No, I don't know how ... I just knew his name."

"That is probably really good, I would think." He reassured her.

"So was our work what put me in here?"

Booth looked down at their hands, "I don't know for sure, it could be or it could just be a burglary." He took in a deep breath and released it slowly "They said not to lie to you, I think it did have something to do with our work, I just don't know what and I hoped you could answer that. Since you can't we will take another route."

She was becoming overwhelmed with all the information that had been thrown at her and was suddenly exhausted. "I am tired; I think I am going to try to sleep." Booth slowly moved towards the door, he probably shouldn't stay if she didn't remember him. "Please…stay. I know this will sound strange but, I feel…safe…with you. I would appreciate it if you could stay until I fall asleep."

"Sure, sure I will be right here," he settled into the recliner and watched her. "Hey Bones."

"Mmhmm"

"I-I umm I ... never mind it can wait." He sat and watched her drift off to sleep. "I love you" he whispered. He sat back in the recliner and let sleep claim him.


	3. Chapter 3

As the days progressed Brennan was moved to a private room. She was slowly getting information about her life from all the people that said they were her friends, coworkers, and family. It was a small circle of people, but from what she had observed they were very close. When they were together, these people did most of the communicating; she preferred to just listen to their stories of her life. What she did notice was that in every story there was about her; Booth was also in the story. She was beginning to wonder just how close they had been. Did she even have a life before him? Had they been more than partners? She could definitely see it, she was very attracted to him and he seemed to be to her also. And what about that comment he made about them when she asked if either of them were married. Angela would be the one to ask about Booth, she seemed the type that would tell her the truth. Angela had said they were best friends and besides Booth, Angela had been the other constant at her bedside.

When Angela came to visit she brought in some of the books Brennan had written like she promised. Brennan sat them aside and looked directly at Angela, "I need you to tell me something."

"Okay sweetie, hope you don't mind me eating I am starved, I brought enough for you too, if you want. So what is it that you need?" she asked as she shoved a few fries in her mouth.

"Was there something going on between me and Booth?"

Angela about choked on the fries she had in her mouth, "Why would you ask that, has something happened?"

"Because everything any of you tell me about my life has him in it. Did I have a life before him? I was wondering if we were together or what?"

"First, I can only tell you about your life when I came into it. One day we will sit down when it is just us, no interruptions and I will tell you what you told me about your life before. You did have a life before Booth; but you didn't start living until you meant Booth."

"What do you mean I didn't start living until Booth?"

"Just that, you existed, you lived to work, and you never did anything just for fun, until Booth. He didn't allow you not to have fun, even if you didn't realize you were having fun." Brennan looked confused at her, "And that is probably the exact look he got when he was forcing you to live outside of dead bodies. You told me once that the most meaningful relationships you had ever had were with dead people. Booth changed that and keeps changing that every day you two are together."

"So…then Booth and I are in a relationship?"

"No sweetie, but Booth has loved you for a long time, even a blind man could see that, but you…you sweetie were different, you didn't believe in love, you didn't believe in happily ever after and even though it is obvious to all of us, you never would let yourself go and love him. So he is your best friend and partner and as much as he wants you, he will take what he can get, he loves you that much." Angela laughs a little, "But, you two might as well be married; the only thing missing is sex." She looked at Angela strange after her comment. "What is it sweetie?"

"Booth said something very similar about him and me. I asked if he was married and he said he was not married unless he counted me. Then went on to say we spent so much time together it was like we were married." I just thought it was strange as attracted as we appear to be to each other that there is nothing more. And for you and him, both to equate us to a married couple just baffles me more."

"Honey, that is because it is true, you two are more married that most married couples." She looked intently at her friend, and then added "He tried to tell you once, you pushed him away. You got frightened and you ran. He ran too, he got a girlfriend and it still wasn't enough. After they split, you were there to put Humpty Dumpty back together."

"I don't understand that."

Angela smiled, "Doesn't matter if you understand, just know that ever since then he holds it all in and I think he hopes you will come around and make the first move. "Bren you have a very logical mind and if you can't explain it with science it doesn't exist. Such as feeling with your heart, you tell us the heart can't feel it is just a muscle. As for love, you tell us that it is just a release of chemicals into our system that confuses us. You don't believe in God, because he isn't something you can put into a beaker and examine, there is nothing to look at and explain by science. Your logic is part of what keeps you two apart, but it is also what makes you two a great team. You are the brain person, Booth is the heart person. So maybe this is your chance to be a heart person, follow your heart not your logical brain."

"When I woke up his face and voice were floating around my head. As you all filed in telling me who you were and who you were to me, all I could think about was him, if he was real or a dream."

Angela smiled, "So Sweetie you thinking of making a play for Booth."

"What do I do now? What if I don't feel that way about him? What if I am just grasping at him because he was something familiar?"

"And what if hell freezes over? You can 'what if' this to death. Maybe you just need to spend some time with him for those feelings to emerge. I am sure they will, you two belong together. Read your books, you deny it but Andy is Booth, maybe you will find some answers there." Angela gave her a mischievous grin, "You will be getting released soon, maybe you need some big strong man in standard issued FBI armor to hang around and make you feel safe in your apartment again." They were smiling at each other as Booth entered the room.

Two sets of eyes turned to look at him as they went silent. "What" he looked back and forth at them suspiciously and they both started laughing, Brennan holding her ribs because it hurt to laugh.

"I think I need to go. See you later Bren, and read your books, you will see." she said as she hugged her friend. Then she turned and looked at Booth, "See Ya Agent Studly" and she giggled her way out the door.

"I am scared to ask." Booth said

"Probably not a good idea to ask."

"So have they said when you will get out of here?"

"The doctor said I could most likely go home in a couple of days."

"Hey that is great Bones; I took liberty to clean up your apartment, so you wouldn't have to go back to it a mess."

"Thanks Booth, I ... umm…nevermind."

"What? You know you can ask me anything?"

"I am not sure how I will feel back at my place. I know I don't remember anything, but the doctor did say that things could come back fast and I am scared of what might come back when I am alone."

"Bones, I am sure the doctor will go over this and I only a phone call away."

"Maybe you could be closer than a phone call for a couple of days?" She glanced at him and then dropped her eyes, "I mean if you don't mind?"

The look he gave her was so tender, "Sure Bones, I will keep you company for a few days."

She smiled at him "Thank you."

They actually settled into a routine in a hospital. When Booth would come by he would sit on the bed next to her, turn on the TV to get the sports scores and if a game was on he would turn it on to watch it. She would sometimes read or sleep. Today she chose to read a book she apparently wrote. Angela had been kind enough to jot down some passages in the book that Brennan might find enjoyable.

As Brennan began reading she found herself intrigued by the cases that Kathy and Andy worked on and their interaction with each other. The tension between them was thick and sometimes you thought they were going to kill each other right then and there. As she read she kept glancing at Booth, then back at the book, then back at Booth. Finally he noticed and without turned "What?"

"You are Andy or ... Andy is you."

Booth puffed out his chest, "Yeah, I know, but you always deny that."

"Kathy and Andy are very very close." She paused for a moment and then motioning between them, "Booth we haven't…have we?"

"No, no, no, no ... we haven't."

"Oh, Why?"

Booth stared at the TV, "Um, one ... we are not Kathy and Andy, and two because the FBI would break our partnership up if we did."

"So does that mean you haven't thought about it?"

_Well the amnesia didn't take away her directness, did it? That doctor said not to lie to her._ "I didn't say that Bones. I just don't think that is something we should be discussing right now, right here." His voice turned annoyed when he asked, "Are you only reading the s-e-x parts?"

He fidgeted next her. "You didn't deny thinking about it, but Okay we don't have to talk about it now," she said quietly and went back to reading.

Booth sat next to her trying to decide how to handle this. The Bones he knew would not let this go for long and while he didn't want to lie to her, he didn't want to drive a wedge between them either.


	4. Chapter 4

When they arrived at her apartment, she was a little apprehensive to go inside. She wasn't sure what to expect, while she wanted to know what happened to her that night she was scared also about having it all come back at once. Booth opened the door and stepped aside for her to enter. As if by habit she reached for him as she crossed the threshold into her home. Booth stood beside her while she took in everything around her. She slowly released him as she made her way towards her kitchen. Booth brought in her bags and sat them down while she was in the kitchen looking around.

She felt like she was in someone else's home. Nothing looked familiar, nothing felt like hers. Her eyes kept searching the room for any hint that this was really her home. She rubbed her hands over her face. "Bones, you okay?" His voice was soft and tender when he asked.

"Yeah, just I-I don't recognize anything…." Her voice trailed off as she saw something on a shelf. She quickly went to it and picked it up; it was a small plastic pig. She stared at it for a while, and then turned to Booth, "you gave this to me, didn't you?" He simply nodded. "I know there was a reason, but I don't know what it was." She looked to him to fill in the blanks.

"You always wanted a pet pig named Jasper. This was early on in our partnership and so I got you one, the kind your landlord couldn't evict and he doesn't eat much." He said with a small smile on his face.

She held onto the small pig like a security blanket as she wandered around her apartment familiarizing herself with it.

She watched Booth move about the apartment, he knew the apartment well, almost as if it was his home. This just added to her questions about them, obviously he had spent a considerable amount of time here.

She wandered off down the hall to her bedroom. She looked in her draws and closet and felt like she was invading someone's privacy, even though she was told this was her home, these were her things. It didn't feel that way. In a bottom draw she found 2 pairs of sweat bottoms, obviously too large for her with FBI printed on them. And 2 FBI shirts that were definitely not hers either. She assumed they belonged to him.

Booth found her sitting on her bed. "Hey, I am going to go get some Thai?"

"Do I like Thai?"

"You did very much, but I can get something else if you like?"

"No lets try what is familiar for a while and see how that goes?"

He smiled at her, "Sounds good, I will be back in a bit, keep the door locked and don't open it for anyone."

As she watched him walk away she had a flash of him in a hospital bed and her looking at X-Rays. She shook her head, but nothing else came to her. Seemed that when she least expected things came back to her, but so far the only things that came back to her involved him. _How wrapped up in each others lives were we?_

* * *

><p>After they ate Booth cleared away the boxes and plates. Brennan watched him pull a bag out of the hall closet, he tossed it on the chair and opened it and checked through it and pulled out a pair of sweats and another t shirt. He noticed she was watching him and he could see the wheels processing.<p>

"You have a question?" Her eyes rose up to meet his

"Was wondering why you would put a bag in the closet instead of the spare room?"

"This I my stake out bag that I kept here, you have one at my place, it is just stuff we might need to clean up if got into something on a case."

"Oh, Okay." She agreed, "Umm Booth?"

"Yeah"

"If you have a stake out bag, then why would you have clothes in a draw in my dresser?"

"I don't know what you are talking about? I don't keep clothes in your dresser."

"But I found them…unless…was I seeing anyone?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Bones if you were, I would know, you would have told me. You tell me everything and I tell you everything."

"Then they have to be yours." She stood up and took his hand and headed for her room. She pulled open the draw and showed him the clothing.

His face relaxed and a sparkle came to his eye as he looked sideway at her. "That is where they went." she looked at him with confusion. "You have obviously, borrowed my sweats and failed to return them."

"I am sorry," her eyes got big as she reached down and picked them up "take them."

"No Bones, it is okay, I think I always knew where they were and the thought of you wearing….." he let his voice trail off as he stared into her crystal blue eyes and his face drained of color. He hooked his thumb towards the door; "I need to go take a shower" he choked out as he backed out of the room.

She didn't wait for him to finish his shower, she went to bed. It had been a long day and she hurt, she just wanted to take a pain pill and sleep. Although it had been 6 weeks since she had been in the hospital, her ribs still were tender and any wrong movement would cause a high level of discomfort. Her arm and hand were healing nicely and she was able to have her cast removed that morning. She took her pain medication and lay down in her bed.

She pulled her comforter up to her chin and laid in her room looking around hoping for some glimmer of recollection. Even though Booth was staying in the next room, she felt very alone. It was very frightening to have no memory past a few weeks. Her life had been wiped clean, stolen from her and while she didn't remember what she lost, she felt the pain of the loss. The pain medication began to take hold and she drifted off to sleep with images of Booth in a bathtub with a beer dispensing hat on.

Booth was awakened by screaming coming from Brennan's room. He went through her door, gun drawn and found her standing in the same spot that he found her several weeks earlier, but this time she was fighting an invisible foe.

She stood there in front of him in a fighting stance, her breathing was heavy, her hair covered her face so he couldn't see her eyes, but he had no doubt they were watching him, but not seeing him. He couldn't just walk up to her, she would lay him out. Injured or not, she had enough adrenaline pumping through her she would not feel pain. He normally would have tried to wrap his arms around her pinning her arms to her sides while he took her off her feet, but with her still healing ribs he couldn't chance that.

So he opted to try to talk to her. "Bones, it is me, it's Booth. You are safe, no one can hurt you, I am here, it's all over." He noticed her relax a little. "That's it Bones, you're safe" He lowered his gun and set it down on the dresser.

"Booth" her voice was barely audible.

"Yeah baby it's me," he took a step towards her and she tensed up. "Come on Bones, come to me." She hesitantly took a step toward him, he didn't move, he just held his arms open to her.

"Booth" her voice a whisper.

"That's right honey, it is me." She took another step, still guarded but it was another step. "Come on Babe I will take care of you." That was all it took she moved into his arms and collapsed against him crying and shaking.

He held her for a long time, whispering to her, and then he gently lifted her and carried her back to her bed. He leaned against the headboard and pulled her to him. She wrapped around him still trembling as he placed a kiss on the top of her head and rubbed his hand up and down her back. "You are safe Bones, I am here, it is all over, I've got you, no one is going to hurt you."

Her breathing and her body indicating she was sleeping. Now the problem was she was tangled up in him and he wasn't sure how he was going to slide out of her bed without waking her. He realized there was no way for him to slip away from her so he just leaned his cheek against her head and held her until sleep took him.

She opened her eyes and that didn't look like a pillow to her, she slowly raised her head and realized it was his chest covered by a Led Zeppelin T-shirt, then she noticed his arms were around her and his hand was resting on her arm that was draped over him_. "How did he end up here?" _As the fog of sleep started to clear away she remembered having a dream,_ a dream where she was fighting someone in her room, they had attacked her in bed, then she heard his voice calling to her. Telling her it was okay, she was safe, and he was there. _ She looked up at his face and his brown eyes were tenderly watching her.

"Hey"

As she sat up he released his hold on her. "Hi?"

"You had a bad dream last night, do you remember?"

"I remember fighting something and then I heard your voice."

"You were pretty shaken, so I sat with you and you went to sleep and I couldn't move with…without waking you." Booth got up and turned to look at Brennan I-I better go back to my room."

Her voice stopped him as he got to the door, "Booth, thank you."

"Anytime Bones, that's what I am here for." He smiled at her and left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

As they sat across the table from each other she just stared at him while he had his breakfast. She reached for his bacon. "Bones!"

"What?"

"Umm, not that I mind," She took a bite of the bacon, "but you are vegetarian," he said in a rushed tone. She stopped chewing.

"I am?"

"You have been for several years, I don't mind if you take my bacon, but just know that you have to be careful if you start eating meat again, your body isn't use to it."

"But bacon is so good." She took another bite

"Great now not only are my fries not safe, but now you will be stealing my bacon too?"

The smile left her face, _had she done something wrong? _He saw the look. "Bones, it is a joke, you like to eat my fries when we eat at the diner and I tease you about stealing them. I always tell you to get your own, but you say that mine taste better because they are not yours. So I figure if you are eating meat again, my bacon will taste better than your bacon."

Her expression turned serious. "Booth what am I going to do if I don't get my memory back?

"Bones, you shouldn't worry about something like that. One, it is way too early to even think that it won't come back and, Two, if it doesn't we will deal with it.

"We?"

"Yes…we, you think just because you lose your memory you could get rid of me that easily." She smiled. But it was a real concern to her.

"So what are we going to do today Booth?"

"Well it is Saturday; I thought we would go to the Farmers Market downtown, which is something you liked before to get fresh produce and then the store you like to shop at. Then come home and I can watch sports while you wait on me." She saw the teasing in his eyes and promptly kicked him under the table "OUCH, Okay so you didn't lose that part of your memory," he chuckled and he rubbed the sore spot on his shin.

"Booth after we go to the store, can you take me places we use to go."

"Bones, I can, but the doctor said not to force it, let it come back on its own."

"Booth, I look at you, I know your name, I know I can trust you, and I feel safe with you, but I don't know you. I look at the streets and I know I should know them and I don't. I-I I'm scared that I will never remember."

"Bones, look you have had little things come back, that is good. Just give it time. Meanwhile we can create some new memories." She looked at him with worried eyes; he smiled at her reassuring "Trust me." he leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Booth so far the only memories that have come back involve you."

_Memories of me_ "Like what?" he tried to sound matter of fact, but he was really curious what she remembered about him.

"You in a hospital bed, with a lot of bruising and I was looking at your X-Rays. And you in a bathtub with a helmet on your head with a beer on both sides and a piece of tubing acting like a straw." Booth groaned. "When were you in the hospital?"

He laughed lightly, _which time?_ he thought. "I think the one you are talking about was the first year we worked together. Someone was out to kill you and I wouldn't let you be alone and they had set a bomb in your apartment and when I opened your refrigerator it went off. It was a case where I let another FBI agent, Kenton, protect you and he was the one you needed protecting from."

She nodded, "And when did I see you in a bathroom with a helmet on?"

Booth closed his eyes, "That one is a long story, but basically you came to yell at me and you didn't seem to mind I was naked in the bathtub when you burst through the door yelling."

"Why the helmet?"

He looked a little embarrassed at her and mumbled, "Cold beer plus hot water equals warm beer, hat equals solution." She started to laugh; she actually caught onto the humor in it, "very inventive Booth."

* * *

><p>After they did their shopping he took her to the coffee cart for a cup of coffee. That is one thing that didn't change; she still loved her coffee the same way. As they walked down the path in the park towards the coffee cart, she looked around. "Bones, are you okay?"<p>

"It is really beautiful here."

"I know, one of your of favorite places to jog."

"I jog."

"Yeah and I figure when your ribs are strong enough, we can start again. But for now a nice walk in the park with a cup of coffee is perfect." She reached over and took his hand. He looked at their hands and smiled to himself. She found herself enjoying being next to him and holding his hand. _She had to talk to Angela more and find out more about herself before the amnesia, she might not want that person back. _

When they arrived home Booth went into the kitchen and started to cook. She leaned against the counter and watched him. "Do I cook?"

"Yeah you do, you make a killer Mac and Cheese. But, we are usually so busy with work we eat take out and when we do eat together, we share the cooking."

"So when we share, what do I do?"

He looked at her realizing she wanted to try to do things they use to do. "You can slice up these vegetables for me; since I am doing a stir fry not a lot we have to do." She washed her hands and smiled as she picked up the knife.

After dinner she decided that since memories were only come back when and if they wanted, she might as well get to know this man that she trusted so very much and felt close to. "Booth, tell me about us?"

"About us?" he looked concerned

"Yeah about us, our partnership, our friendship, and…why did nothing happen between us. Angela told me that we belong together."

"What else did Angela tell you?"

"She said you have loved me for a long time and that you tried to tell me once and I pushed you away. It is because I was different and was never ready, something like that. She also said we might as well be married, we acted like we were." All the color had drained out of Booths face. All he could think of was he was going to kill Angela for not giving him a heads up.

"Okay where to begin."

"The beginning is usually a good spot."

He smiled at her, yes it probably is.

He spent the next couple of hours going over their partnership in detail the cases they had handled, the awards and commendations they had gotten and how he rescued her from Kenton and the grave digger, how she rescued him. How they depended on each other and how they went from seriously aggravating each other to this unbreakable bond they had now. When he was done, she continued to look at him.

"You have questions Bones?"

"Tell me what you know about me."

"Like what?"

"Don't friends know things about each other that no one else knows?"

"Bones, are you sure you want to hear this?"

"Yeah."

"I know that your parents left when you were 15, just before Christmas. Your Brother Russ had found the Christmas presents and tried to make Christmas for you, but when you saw what he did you expected your parents were home and were disappointed. I know he left by the first of the year, which put you into the foster care system and you did not have a good experience with that. One family locked you in the truck of a car for 2 days for breaking a dish you were washing in very hot water."

He searched her face for reaction. While he saw tears building they were more sympathy, like she was listening to someone else's story. "You believe everyone abandons you after your parents and brother did. Your high school experience was difficult as you were considered weird and no one liked you. Your mother was found in limbo at the Jeffersonian several years after you went to work there. She had been there as long as you had. We solved her murder, you, me, and the team. We found your father and ended up arresting him for murder, which he got off on because you presented reasonable doubt. You don't believe in God, you don't believe in happily ever after. But the friends you have, you are fiercely loyal to. You only believe in facts, I trust my gut. Together it works."

"We are the center." She looks at him "The center must hold"

"Yeah we are the center, you and me."

"What do I know about you?"

Booth shifted uncomfortably, he never thought he would have to talk about these things with her again, but here he was and if it helped her get her memory back, then he needed to open up those wounds again for her.

"Bones, you know this stuff, I have told you before, so telling you again should not be a big deal, but it will be. It will be like telling you for the first time all over and I don't know how you will react. It is going to open up some old wounds. Just remember you know all this somewhere and you accept it, okay?"

"Okay I will remember."

"My father was a drunk and he would beat me. I would take the blame to protect Jared, my brother. I was older I could handle it. Not sure what happened but our father left and pops, my grandfather, raised us. If not for him I would probably have killed myself when I was a boy. One time my father stopped drinking for a week and for one special day he remembered I was his kid, we went to a ball game and we had a great day. I haven't seen him since. I swore I would not be my father and I will do anything to be the best father I can be. I was in the military, an army ranger and a sniper." He stopped and studied her expression, while there was sadness in it and mild shocked, she didn't seem horrified by what he had told her so far. "I told you once I wanted to catch at least as many murders as lives I took. You said it was to atone for the lives I took, and maybe it is and you also said you wanted to help me do it. Oh and the one I swore you never to mention again. I am a descendant of John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated President Lincoln. You could tell by my bone structure." He looked up at her not sure what to expect.

"Thank you Booth."

"Welcome Bones"

He watched her for a moment and knew she was going to start asking about them as in a couple and he still was not prepared to talk about that. "Probably a good time to get some rest, we can talk more tomorrow." He smiled at her and headed for the guest room.

_He never did talk about them, it was about their partnership_. As she headed for her bedroom, she saw the light under his door. She lightly knocked on it "Booth?"

He opened the door standing there in only his boxers; "Yeah" She had to remember how to breathe before she could continue.

"So what about us?"

"Bones…Angela didn't lie to you, but I think this. is something we need to talk about some other time, not tonight."

She nodded and backed away; she dropped her head and turned towards her room. It took every ounce of self control not to go to her and hold her. He slowly closed his door. He knew he was going to have to talk to her about it and this Bones seemed to understand the attraction, but what happens when/if the other Bones emerges, could what he tells her destroy what they have?

* * *

><p>He was again awoke by her screaming as he entered her bedroom she was again on the same spot on the floor, breathing hard as if she had been fighting someone.<p>

"Bones come on baby it is me. You know if you hear my voice you are safe." She turned her head slightly toward his voice. "Baby, come to me, you can do it and this will all be over, just a few steps, you can do it baby, come to me." She ran into his arms and he held her shivering frame. He moved her back to her bed and laid with her until she fell asleep. He could not move because she clung to him, if he moved she subconsciously tightened her grip. So again he slept next to her allowing her the safety of his arms.

Brennan again woke up in Booth's arm, she pulled herself up slowly and when she turned her head to face him her eyes locked on his concerned ones. "I had that dream again, didn't I?"

Booth nodded, "Do you remember anything?"

She shook her head, "I don't even remember dreaming."

"Bones don't worry about it, it is Sunday, I am going to go to church and then after that I will be yours the rest of the day."

"Can I go to church with you?"

He glanced at her, "Bones, you don't believe in God." She dropped her head. "But if…if you want to go you can, just no squinty stuff about how God doesn't exist if you get that part of your memory back."

"Angela told me that I couldn't put God in a beaker and examine him so I didn't believe in him. Am I really like that?"

"Hey, it is just what you believe and you are not the only person that doesn't believe in him. That doesn't make you bad, just sometimes you forget that other do believe and you say things that cause friction, because they don't understand you like I do."

"I don't sound like a very nice person."

"Bones, you are the kindest person I know, you just see things differently than others and they don't understand. Now stop worrying and get dressed you can go with me." She smiled at him.


	6. Chapter 6

After Church she sat quietly in the SUV staring at the scenery as it passed by. She felt good when she came out of the service, but she wasn't sure why. She listened while the priest spoke of faith of the unseen. _Was that what Angela meant when she said that if she couldn't put it in a beaker and examine it, it didn't exist. Was she talking about faith?_ Booth just gave her time to digest everything, he knew she would talk when she was ready, that is one thing the amnesia had not changed. As the pulled up to the diner, Brennan got out and stood staring at the building. Small flashes darted through her head and again all of them had Booth in them. _Him and her standing outside talking, his fore finger hooked and under her chin. Them crossing the street arm in arm_,_ them sitting at a table, his smile, the way he looked at her, _then the flashes were gone.

Booth watched her closely he knew something was happening, but didn't want to pry. He opened the door for her and she walked to their table and sat down. As he sat down opposite her she smiled. "Why did you pick this table, Bones?"

"Why not?"

"This is our table, the one we always sit at when we come here."

She examines the table "It is?" he smiled at her and nodded.

"So maybe your memory is not gone, just filed away some where for the time being. You picked this table that has to mean something." She smiled at his confidence, she hoped he was right.

"Hey you two, how are you?" Sweets said as he plopped down in the chair next to Booth.

Brennan looked at him and then Booth. "Bones, remember Dr. Lance Sweets. He is the FBI psychologist; he does some profiling for us." Booth intentionally left out the part that they had attended couples counseling with him as he was sure she would not understand right now.

"Dr. Brennan, you and Agent Booth have also done couples...OUCH", he looked over at Booth and got a pointed stare of you will not bring that up right now.

Brennan looked confused at both men. "Bones, what he meant was that we had done a couple of sessions with him while he profiled suspects for us."

"Oh, Okay, Why?"

"I arrested your father and they had to make sure it would not compromise us working together."

"I know I won't remember why you arrested my father. But, why would you arresting my father compromise our working relationship, you are only doing your job."

Booth smiled at her, "That's my Bones."

She cocked her head at him, "Why did you say that?"

"What you just said there, sounded like the old you."

"Oh Okay." She turned her attention to Sweets, "I don't think I like psychology?" Booth started chuckling and Sweets sighed heavily and sat back hard in his chair.

Booth ordered a cheeseburger and order Brennan a salad. When the waitress left she looked at Booth, "I wanted a cheeseburger." Sweets head shot up and Booth gave him a warning look before turning his attention back to Bones.

"Remember, I told you, you need to take this slow, your body has not had meat in years and it will make you sick. You can have a little of mine and I will have some of your salad. That should make you happy; you have been trying for years to get me to eat healthier." She smirked at him.

When their meal arrived Booth cut his cheeseburger into quarters and gave her one. She took a bite and her eyes got wide, "This is sooo good," she said between chews. She then, as if by habit, grabbed for his fries. He sat and watched her in amusement; she was like a child that got their first taste of chocolate. She took another bite of the cheeseburger and she closed her eyes and her shoulder dropped like she was eating the best thing she had ever eaten in her life. When they were finished with the meal, Liz brought over a piece of apple pie for Booth and cleared away the other plates. Brennan took her fork and attacked his pie. "Hey, Hey, My pie," Booth protested, but was too late she had a fork full and shoved it in her mouth. Her face scrunched up, she chewed and swallowed.

"I don't like pie."

Booth laughed, "Some things never change. At least my pie is safe from you."

"I didn't like pie before?"

He shook his head, "You said you don't like your fruit cooked," he grinned at her and his eyes sparkled.

After he finished his pie he looked at a very tired Brennan, "Okay Bones, time to go home, you are about tapped out for the day."

"What does that mean?" he stared at her for a second _that was a very Bones saying. _

"It means you are tired and need some rest."

Sweets had watched the partners and there was something different about them. Outside of Brennan's amnesia, there was something between them that had changed, but Sweets couldn't put his finger on it.

After they got home she slipped into her room to get some rest and he sat on the couch, turning on the TV to ESPN. He was soon asleep on the couch. Brennan came out and saw him asleep and not wanting to wake him; she left a note on the kitchen counter, grabbed cell phone and slipped out the front door.

As she got off the elevator she called Angela to see if they could hang out. Angela said she would send a car after her and they could spend the afternoon together.

"Hello Dr. Brennan" the doorman said

"Hi" she had only seen him the night Booth brought her home, but she couldn't remember his name.

"I bet you are happy to be back at your own home with your own things around."

"Yes it is nice."

"How long is Agent Booth going to be staying? Or have things changed between you two?"

She thought those questions were rather personal. "What goes on between Agent Booth and me is between us, no one else." He smiled at her, a smile that made her nervous. She was relieved to see Angela's limo pull up out front.

She was also pleasantly surprised that Angela was inside the car. She asked her if they had any leads on her case. She didn't have the details but she knew that Hodgins had found some particulates that corresponded with a uniform of some type and the color was a dull blue. Brennan just nodded and then went straight to what she wanted to talk to Angela about. She wanted Angela to tell her what they knew about each other, what she was like before the amnesia and as much as she could tell her about Booth.

Once they arrived at Angela's, she went and got them a bottle of wine and locked them away in a small study. They sat in wingback chairs and pulled their feet up under them while they sipped wine and Angela went through their friendship from when they met up to present day. She found that she had divulged more about herself to Booth than to Angela, who was her best friend.

Then they got to the subject of Booth. Angela tried to explain their relationship and why it was the way it was even if she didn't understand it. Brennan just seemed confused.

"Angela is it possible that Booth might not like this new me as much as he liked the old me?"

"Sweetie, that is not something I can answer, but we don't know that the old you won't come back. Think of this you as a model that has had some alterations done to it. So you are not new, just modified."

"You make me sound like a car."

"Well if you get the idea." Angela giggled

"So if I act on my attraction towards him and something happens, then the old me can't…you…"

"Sweetie if you are worried about not feeling the same when you get your memory back, I don't think that will be a problem. You loved him then, even if you tried to pretend you didn't, and you will still remember all this, so it won't be a shock to you."

Brennan took a sip of her wine and thought about what they had talked about.

"Sweetie has something happened between you and Booth since this."

"No, I think I want to, but I don't want to ruin what we have."

"Oh no, you are sounding like Booth. Bren you need to talk to him about you guys."

"I want to, but I think he is avoiding it and I am not sure why?"

"He probably is thinking the same things you are and isn't sure what to do. Bren he probably can feel that if he pushes a little you will give in and that scares him, because if he takes that opening he has a chance to lose you when your memory comes back. Talk to him."

Booth woke up and stretched. He sat up and rubbed his hands over his face, he tried to focus on his watch, how long had he been asleep. He glanced down the hall and saw her bedroom door open. He got up and went looking for her. "Bones," he called as he approached her door. Getting no answer, he quietly slipped through the door to see if she was asleep. But she wasn't there, bathroom light was off. He turned and headed for the kitchen. "Bones," he called a little louder and got no answer. He rushed into the kitchen and she wasn't there, he noticed the paper on the counter. He read the note and his jaw tensed, "Dammit Bones." He tossed down the note and slipped on his shoes, grabbed his keys and head out the door.

As he got in his SUV he called Hodgins phone when Angela didn't answer hers.

"Hey Booth, What's up man?"

"Is Bones there?"

"Yep her and Ange took a bottle of wine and locked themselves in the study to talk."

"How did she get there?"

"Booth, I sent a car for her, she is safe."

"Sorry Jack, just we don't know who did this to her and her just taking off like that scared me."

"I understand man."

"Don't let her leave, I should be there shortly."

"You got it."

When Booth arrived Hodgins tried to talk him out of barging in on the girls, but he didn't listen. Bones had scared him and she needed to realize how girls jumped as the door came flying open. "Booth, what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that, leaving without telling me."

"You were asleep; I left you a note, which I am assuming you found since you are standing here." She squared off at him

"You should not be leaving your apartment alone, you want to go I will take you." He took a step closer to her.

"Angela sent a car." She moved up till she was nose to nose with him.

"Bones that is not the point, I can protect you." his jaw was twitching as the angry flashed across his face.

"Oh because you are the 'Alpha male' and I am just a poor defenseless female?" She poked him in the chest to stress her point.

"We don't know who did this to you and until we find out, I don't want you wandering around alone," he said through clenched teeth.

"Booth, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." She yelled back at him.

"Oh yeah, and we see how well that worked out didn't we?" he glared at her.

She stumbled backwards a couple of steps. "You're right," she said almost inaudibly and looked down at the floor.

He stepped forward and pulled her to him, "Sorry I yelled, it just scared me, when I realized you weren't there."

She wrapped her arms around his waist, "I am sorry, I didn't see the harm in taking a car over here."

Angela and Hodgins stood there smiling at the pair when Booth noticed, he pulled away from Bones. "Now that is the Booth and Brennan we know and love." Angela gestured between the pair.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Brennan inquired.

"They way you two argue or bicker as you call it. That exchange right there is classic for you two." Brennan looked at Booth and he nodded.

Hodgins invited them to stay for dinner, he was barbequing. Booth reminded Bones she could have some of the chicken that Hodgins was cooking, but not a whole piece as it would upset her stomach. She gave him an annoyed look, which had no effect on him.

The moved out to the patio/outdoor kitchen, Angela brought her and Brennan some more wine and the guys each a beer. Booth sat on a stool at the bar talking to Hodgins about the outdoor kitchen. This was something Booth could enjoy if he ever bought a house; he was definitely building one of these. Hodgins told him about the hidden TV and grabbed a remote and pushed a button and pointed to where a TV slowly descended from its hiding spot.

As Angela and Brennan approached the bar, they were chatting happily Brennan sat on the stool next to Booth, her back to him as she continued to talk to Angela. Booth just out of the blue started rubbing his hand up and down her back while he continued his conversation with Hodgins. Angela and Hodgins exchanged looks and small smiles, at the ease with which their friends fell into being a couple without even realizing it. Everything between them was so natural, she was so tempted to say something, but now did not seem like the time, she hoped their figured it out before she had to say something.

After dinner they moved to the wrought iron patio furniture Booth settled into a loveseat with overstuffed cushions. Bones settle in next to him and he automatically put his arm around her waist as she leaned into him. Again neither of them noticed their behavior towards each other, it was so natural.


	7. Chapter 7

On Monday morning Booth was up and moving around getting ready for work. Brennan came out and watched him. "Where are you going?"

"I am going to work half a day and will be back by noon."

"Can I go? It might help my memory. You can take me to my office, maybe looking around will help me, please."

"Okay, get ready and I will drop you at the Jeffersonian." She smiled and went back in her room like a little girl who just got the best present.

He walked her into the Jeffersonian and straight to her office. "Okay you don't leave here no matter what without me. Got it?"

"Booth, I am not an invalid."

"I know that" he used his finger under her chin to turn her face towards him "but you don't leave here without me. No excuses. Promise me Bones."

"Booth…"

"Promise me." his brown eyes bore into her.

"Okay I promise" she bit her lower lip.

Brennan sat down at her desk and turned on her computer. She didn't know how to get into it. Booth was standing behind her and wrote down her user name and password on a sticky note next to her. She turned to him and looked at him strange. "Don't ask."

He kissed her forehead and headed to Cam's office, he gave Cam strict orders that Brennan was not suppose to leave the lab without him and asked that she tell everyone else.

Brennan looked through her computer and at her email, hoping that something might jar her memory. One email scared her.

_ Dr. Brennan_

_ Welcome back to work. I see that my associate has failed in his assignment and will pay dearly for that.  
><em>_ I must now take matters into my own hands. You must stop the work you are doing on the Lakely Hills homicide;  
>I believe that was the name on it.<em>

_ You are a smart woman, you must realize by now you have gotten to close to answers that some people  
>would prefer never came out. Dr. Brennan if you do not back down, the next time we meet will be when<br>I torture your precious FBI agent in front of you, before killing him. _

Brennan was shook up. She pushed back from her desk and ran out of her office. She ran to the platform and up the stairs, setting off the alarms causing her to approach a panic state very quickly. Security silenced the alarms. Hodgins was on the platform in a flash. "Dr. B, are you okay?" Tears were threatening her eyes as she just stared at Hodgins, she didn't know who to trust and Booth wasn't here. Could these people be the ones that hurt her while they pretended to be her friend?

Hodgins reached out for her and she screamed at him, "NO, Booth only Booth." Angela was on the platform now.

"Sweetie, I am calling him now, I will put it on speaker so you can hear him okay?"

"Booth"

"Booth, you need to get back here fast, something has upset Bren and she is freaking out."

"What do you mean Ange."

"Booth, please come get me."

Booth could hear the panic in her voice. "Bones, listen to me, I am coming back, you are safe there, and you are with friends." She didn't answer. "Ange?"

"Booth, she is really upset, she isn't listening to us, and she won't let us near her. Something has really upset her."

"Sweetie, Booth is coming if you want to take the phone you can talk to him until he gets here." Brennan reached out for the phone from Angela.

"Bones what happened?"

"An email, Booth they said if I don't stop they will pay another visit and that they will torture you." Angela headed for Brennan's computer. "Booth I forgot, but yesterday when I left the door man asked me questions about you and me that just didn't feel right. I am sorry, I forgot about it after I got to Angela's."

"Don't worry about that, we will talk when I get there. I am going to be coming through the doors in just a second you can hang up."

"No, please no"

"Okay, okay watch the doors I will be there in a second."

She turned and stared at the door her body trembling, "Booth I don't see you."

"Just about to the doors."

She finally breathed a sigh of relief as he came through the doors; she got up off the floor and ran down the stairs into his waiting arms. "I am sorry, I know you have to work, but…but…I want to go home." Booth held onto her, Booth missed his Bones, but he also liked the softer Bones, the Bones that didn't mind him being the Alpha male so much. Or at least she didn't fight him as often on it.

Booth walked with her to her office and sat down on the couch with her while Angela worked on the email. "Who ever this is, is good, they have this email bouncing through at least 10 different portals before it got here. But, they know she has read it, they have it set up to notify them when that occurs, I can try to trace it back to them, but it will take time."

"So this person knows Bones is here?"

"Yeah."

"I need to find a safe house for her."

"Booth, man I have that guest house on the property and you know that our place is like Fort Knox, just have to figure out a way to get her out of here without being detected."

"What about your staff."

"The guest house is back far enough they would never notice anyone there and with the privacy wall they wouldn't see her anyway if she is outside. I will make sure that all staff leaves the house by 5pm so that there will be more privacy in the evenings. She will be safe there."

Booth nodded, "Okay so we need to get her out of here without them knowing we are taking her out of here. Put your thinking caps on people we need ideas."

"Booth I have an idea." Angela offered.

"I am all ears, shoot."

"Body doubles, you leave and we sneak in someone that could pass for Bren. Your double comes back and picks her up and leaves, which would leave us open to get a limo, driven by you, in here to pick up Bren. That way she could stay around here today and will give us time to get our staff out of the house so there won't be any eyes when you take her to the property."

"That will probably work well, now we just need a plan to get her personal items she will need."

"I can take care of that Booth, I know what she likes there is no reason to go back to her place and I am sure you can get her some FBI sweats and t shirts." Booth furrowed his brow. "Sorry forgot, she loved to wear them around the house, before I mean, just thought she might still like them."

Booth glanced down at Brennan, who was staring wide eyed at Angela. Booth smiled "Yeah, I think I can manage that." He rubbed his hand down Brennan's back and leaned down to her ear. "Now we both know why you stole mine."

"I'll call Hacker and get everything set up. Bones, I need to try to find the notes you had from that case. I know you don't remember it, but just look, it will give you something to do and keep your mind off that email." She got up and with Cam's help she started to check files. What was even more frustrating was the case that the email referred to had been closed for 4 years, after Booth killed Kenton.

After all the arrangements that could be made were, Booth left to go get them some lunch. Angela sat with her and could tell ever moment Booth was gone, Brennan's anxiety got a little higher. "Bren he will be back. You are safe here, I know you aren't sure who you can trust outside of Booth, but try to remember, he would not leave you with us if he did not trust us." Brennan mind flashed back to leaving a hospital with a man and him apologizing for what he would have to do to her. Angela moved next to her. "Sweetie tell me what is going on."

Brennan turned to Angela and told her about her memory flash. "Sounds like Kenton, honey he had us all fooled, it was Booth that figure it out and left the hospital to come get you. Booth killed Kenton, Kenton can not hurt you."

"Okay" But she wanted to hear it from Booth.

When Booth came back Angela and Hodgins left, they were going shopping for Brennan and then heading home to get the guest house ready and clear their staff out. Angela hugged Brennan and assured her everything would be fine.

When they were alone Brennan turned to Booth, I had a flash of a memory. Angela said it was Kenton and he was dead. That you killed him."

"Yeah, he is dead; he was going to kill you, I had to shoot him."

"Okay." she nodded. Booth was waiting for questions; she just simply accepted the minimal facts. He pulled her into his arms and cradled her head against his chest. Quiet tears rolled down her cheeks, he could feel them through his shirt. She was felt like she was drowning and Booth was the only lifeline keeping her afloat.

Angela's plan worked like a charm, the body double team was sure they picked up a tail when they left the Jeffersonian. They would hang around Brennan's apartment for a while and leave separately blending in with the residents.

As Booth pulled up to the guest house, Angela and Hodgins came out to greet them. Brennan got out of the limo and wrapped her arm around Booth's arm.

"Sweetie, I am glad you are here and this place is like Fort Knox."

She looked at Booth, "Angela is right and I will be here 24/7. The FBI has assigned me specifically to you. There is no need for me to go into the office and this way no one can follow me back to you."

As they walked in Booth looked at the place, it was 2000 sq ft, open floor plan large living room as you entered. If you continued to walk you entered the kitchen and then past the kitchen was the family room, leading out glass folding walls to the patio. Off to the right was one bedroom that had its own mini study, perfect for quiet afternoon of reading. To the left was a single car garage and a smaller bedroom. Each bedroom had its own bathroom and there was a half bath off to the right near the front door.

The furniture was modern, large overstuffed couches, loveseats and chairs, the kind that mold around you. All furniture was in a soft beige color. The place had all dark hardwood floors and earth tone area rugs use around the furniture. In the family room was a 50 inch plasma TV that lowered from its storage place in the ceiling. Booth thought he was in heaven. Hodgins took him outside and he noticed an outdoor kitchen and another living room type set up with another TV that would drop down, so he could watch TV and cook outside at the same time if he chose to do so. Brennan couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm at the place they would be calling home for an undetermined amount of time.

Angela had stocked the pantry and the refrigerator with everything she could think of and made sure to show Booth and Brennan the computerized grocery list that they could add items to and then Angela could pick them up.

"I want to thank you guys for doing all this and if you keep receipts the FBI will make sure you are paid back."

"Seriously Dude, I don't think I will miss the money. Just think of this as a paid vacation and enjoy yourselves. Anytime you want to use the pool please do so, staff will be gone by 5pm during the week and there is no staff here on the weekends."

"Thanks Jack" Booth shook Jack's hand.

"Come on Angie; let them settle in, you will have plenty of time to talk to Dr. B later." They said their goodbyes and they watched their hosts walk back up to their house arm in arm.


	8. Chapter 8

Booth proceeded to lead Brennan out onto the patio, settled her into the love seat and lowered the TV in front of her. He turned it on, handed her the remote and headed for the outdoor kitchen. Clapped his hands together and rubbed them back and forth, "I think I will barbeque for you tonight." She got up and went and sat on one of the stools where she could watch him cook and they could talk.

Angela smiled as she looked down at the warm glow coming from the direction of the guest house. "Well Hodgie if nothing else they are locked down together and they just might have to face their feelings for each other, really hard to run from them when you are living together." Angela grinned.

Brennan excused herself while Booth continued to cook and went in to change out of the clothing she wore to work and she found some FBI sweats and shirts laying on the bed. She put on the sweats and had to draw up the draw string considerably and then she rolled them down low on her hips and pulled the T shirt on. She could see now why she liked these, they were rather comfortable.

When she reappeared she assumed by the look on Booth's face that he approved of her attire. His mouth was gapping open and his eyes didn't leave her while she crossed to the stool. "Is everything okay," she asked

"Huh? Yeah…yeah everything is fine." He turned back to his cooking. _Holy Mary mother of God, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Joseph, Hail Mary full of grace, the lord is with thee…_

"Booth"

"Yeah"

"Is there anything I can do?"

"NO" he said a little too quickly. "No, I am almost done. You just relax." _Good God no, I can't let you get close to me or I will not be responsible for what happens. How the hell can you take oversized sweat pants and t-shirt and look so damn good in them. He looked at her briefly; I imagined she would look good in them, but not this good. Woman you will be the death of me._

After dinner she helped him with the dishes and got him a beer and herself another glass of wine and they settled in to watch TV.

After a while they said their goodnights and headed off to their rooms. Booth had insisted she take the main bedroom and he took the smaller one. As she closed the door, she prayed for her memory to return and the courage to face whatever the memories were. As she pulled the comforter up to her chin, she looked at the closed door wishing he would come through it and love her like Andy loved Kathy.

Booth woke up to the TV, he picked up his gun and carefully made it to his slightly ajar door, inching it open he noticed the TV on, but did not see anyone. Carefully he made his way around the large open room looking for any signs of an intruder. As he came around, he caught sight of what he had been looking for. He lowered his gun and smiled. There was Bones curled up in a ball with her head resting on the armrest of the couch. She was wrapped up in a throw blanket; she must have not been able to sleep.

He knelt down beside the couch, "Hey Bones, wake up, lets get you back to bed."

She stirred slightly and moved towards him, placing her hand on his forearm. He easily slipped his arms around her and picked her up. "Booth, what are you doing?"

"Carrying you back to bed."

"Why are you at my place in the middle of the night?"

He stopped and looked at her, she appeared still asleep, but she talked as if she remembered her apartment. "I came just to make sure you were going to bed."

"Oh, Okay" she slipped her arm tighter around his neck and snuggled into him. As he laid her back down in bed and started to cover her, she reached for him. Her eyes open now "Stay, no reason for you to drive home this late. Stay with me."

"Bones, I don't…."

"Booth, we are partners, we are adults, and we can share a bed without anything happening. We have done it before."

"Bones, you remember when we have shared a bed."

"Of course, Buck and Wanda," she smiled. He watched her; she seemed Bones, but not. "Please Booth, I am tired, come to bed." She wasn't awake, she was talking to him and looking at him, but she wasn't awake, she couldn't be. Her hand tugged on his forearm.

"Okay, I will lay with you until you fall asleep."

"Mmm K."

He lay next to her and she molded her body to him, he groaned. "Why did her body have to fit so perfectly against his?" He closed his eyes and started to recite the saints and any pray that he could get to run through his head. _"Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death." And it would be his death soon if he didn't get control of his body's reaction to her body._

When he woke several hours later they were facing each other, she was tucked up tightly against him, her head under his chin, his arms protectively around her, her scent filled his nostrils as he fought for control and then she moved her head from under his chin. Her hand moved up to his cheek guiding his face to turn down to meet hers and her lips brushed his. "Morning" she then rolled over and pushed her back up against him, pulling his arms around her like they were a large warm blanket.

He started to lose himself in her as he slowly lowered his lips to her shoulder, "Morning Bones." Fighting hard to bring himself back to reality, he pulled back from her. "I think I need a shower."

She tightened her grip on him, "No, I want you to stay here."

"Bones, If I-I stay here, I…we….won't be…"

She turned to face him, "That would not be a bad thing."

He swallowed hard, "Oh God, Bones, don't say that. I am trying really hard to be the gentleman here and you are not making it easy."

"Don't you….you know?"

"This isn't the right time." He pulled himself away from her and left the room.

Back in his room, took some deep breaths before taking a long shower. After the shower he needed to talk to her and see if between them they could reach an understanding when it came to them. He had wanted her for so long and now having her so close and so receptive he didn't know how long he could hold out.

He came out his room and the main part of the house was quiet. He noticed her door was still closed. He lightly knocked on it. "Bones?"

"Go away Booth."

"Bones, we need to talk about this morning, about us."

"Not now Booth, please."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay, do you want some breakfast?"

"No, I had something while you were in the shower." He groaned quietly to himself. She was going to be the death of him. He wasn't sure how to handle this new Bones. _"Patience Seeley, lots and lots of patience."_

She sat in a chair overlooking a large lush yard. She remembered their under cover operation in the circus, Buck and Wanda. The case had been Siamese twins found buried in the desert, her and Booth went undercover to try to find the killer. What they found was a sad accident and someone that just wanted to so them some compassion by giving them the best burial they could.

She was also very aware that last night she thought she was home. She remembered bits and pieces of home and again Booth was embedded in all of them. When she woke up in his arms she wanted him badly and she was sure by his primal responses he wanted her too, and then he walked away. She knew she needed to talk to him but not sure she wanted the answers. So for now she would avoid him, until she could talk to Angela, Angela would know what to do.

Lunch came and went; it was approaching late afternoon when Booth went to her door again. "Bones, you have to eat."

"I am fine." She huffed back

"I am sure you are, until you blood sugar takes a dive and you pass out," he yelled at her

The door came flying open and she was toe to toe with him dressed in a barely there black bikini, with a shear wrap around her waist. "I need to go talk to Angela." He just stood still trying to breath after seeing her in whatever she was wearing. _ What the hell was she barely wearing?" _She shook his head and took off after her.

"BONES, we need to talk."

When he came out the door she was part way up the yard to the main house. "Bones, Dammit, stop."

As she got to the patio Angela came out, "Hey Bren, Oh I like the bikini, I knew when I saw it, it would look good on you."

"Angela can we talk, I need some advice."

Angela furrowed her brow, "Sure sweetie what is going on?"

"Bones" he was right behind her "We need to talk."

Without turning around "Not now Booth, I need to talk to Angela." Angela cast a sympathetic look to Booth and put her arm around Brennan and headed into the house.

Booth stood there hands on his hips, jaw tensing as he watched them walk away. "Angela talk some sense into her while you two are talking." He turned and took off at a jog; he figured he could jog the perimeter of the property and get her off his mind at least momentarily.

After Booth left the patio, Angela grabbed a bottle of wine, 2 glasses, and towels as they headed out to the pool. "Okay sweetie, what is going on?"

"I don't know what to do about Booth?"

"What do you mean?"

She explained to Angela what had happened that morning; how she was sure he wanted her as much as she wanted him. What he had said and how he had left.

"So you are telling me you have not talked to him all day?"

"No, I wanted to talk to you first." Angela ran her hands down the side of her face. Part of her missed the old Brennan, the no nonsense Brennan that usually said something totally wrong to Booth in situations like this. At least those things were easily fixable as Booth understood the old Brennan. This new scared unsure version was going to be a test to them all.

"Bren, he is the one you need to talk to. He loves you, that is why he walked away from you. He wants the first time with you two to be special, not just something to feed the urge. You can't image what it takes for him to control himself and walk away. Oh, he could just give in, which most men would do."

"Would it be so bad for us to…"

"Bren I have told you before; he does not want to do anything to frighten you away. The old Brennan would have run for the hills if what happened this morning happened before. And how does he know if you two do give in that you won't run away once your memory returns? Do you know you won't?"

"I think I love him Angela."

"Have you told him?"

"No, Ange when I woke up in that hospital I didn't know anything, but I had his face and his voice in my head. I didn't know him, just his face and his voice. Do you really think he will believe I love him when I can't remember his favorite food, or his favorite shirt?"

"Maybe you should tell him. The old Brennan was still coming around to the idea of 'love' and probably would not have said it to him in those exact words, but he knows."

"What does that mean? He knows I do or don't love him."

"He knows you love him. But, the words are not something he expects to hear from you. Maybe the amnesia is helping you deal with the side of you that shut off from others for so long."

"I think I know what I need to do."

"Bren, be gentle with him, he does love you, this change in you takes some getting use to, especially if you loved the other you for the last 5 years."

Brennan hugged Angela and headed back for the guest house. She arrived and it was quiet, he wasn't there. He was probably walking; she had been pretty hard on him. Give him time, she went and took a long bath in some lavender bath salts and dressed in a tank top and shorts.

It was starting to get dark and he still had not returned. She was getting concerned and started staring out at the property for any sign of him. She grabbed her phone and called his and turned when she heard the ringing coming from his bedroom. Panic started to wash over her, _had he left her? Was he okay, did someone find them and hurt him? She curled herself up in a ball in a chair and tears silently ran down her face. Why was her first thought of him leaving her. Why did him not being there disturb her so?_


	9. Chapter 9

She heard a sound from the back patio. She turned her head as he emerged into the family room. "Booth" she jumped up and ran to him throwing her arms around him.

"Hey" he caught her and held for a moment. He gently pulled her away from him "Bones are you okay?" He saw the remnants of her crying.

"I am now that you are back. You are right we need to talk."

"Let me take a shower."

"Have you eaten?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"No"

"Okay you shower and I will get some cheese and crackers for our talk." He smiled at her as he headed for his room, taking his shirt off as he went. Watching the muscles dance across his back started a fire in her. _"Temperance time for self control, talk, you two need to talk."_

She heard him coming up behind her in the kitchen and turned find him standing there with a pair of sweat pants on riding low on his hips. Her eyes immediately went to the waistband of the pants and her eyes slowly moved up his bare chest to his face. _She knew her mouth was hanging open and she didn't care, she was having difficulty reminding herself how to breathe. She just wanted to curl up against that chest and feel his hands roaming her body. _

"Bones"

"Huh?"

He smiled, "You want some help."

"No, no I…No" she shook her head as she turned back to her tray of cheese, wine, grapes and crackers.

He followed her onto the patio and they sat in opposite chairs. The sat in awkward silence for several minutes, finally Brennan broke the silence. "Booth, we need to talk about us and what if."

"What if?" he had a questioning look on his face.

She looked at him and she seemed flustered trying to explain this to him. "The old me would just say it wouldn't she, no embarrassment right?"

"Yeah, you would."

She took a deep breath, "Booth why will you not have sex with me? It seemed this morning that you wanted it as much as I did, but you left." Her face was turning red and she lowered her head. "I don't believe I just said that."

Booth chuckled, "That's the old Bones." She looked up at him and the smile disappeared from his face and was replaced with a love that seemed to radiate from all around him.

"Bones, you are right, I did want it this morning as much as you. I have wanted you for 5 years, but I almost lost you once by pushing to soon. I can't risk it again. When it happens between us, I want it to be special, because when two people that love each other make love, they surrender themselves totally to that person, when two people become one.

"Booth isn't that impossible."

He smiled at her, "That is sort of what you said back then. You said something about breaking the laws of physics. I said yes, a miracle, and you agreed with me."

"I am confused, what are you saying?

"I have to be sure you are ready to give yourself completely to me before we take that step, because once we cross that line there will be no turning back. I know I will give myself completely to you and if you pull your love back after, I don't think I could deal with it."

"You are afraid that if I get my memory back, I will pull away from you?"

"Yeah and if we do this, I will in over my head."

"Why do you risk it, if I might run away?"

"Bones what we have is that what people look their whole lives for. You are my soul mate, and as cheesy as this sounds it is true, you complete me." He locked his eyes on hers. When I hold you, when you snuggle up to me, you fit perfectly to me; there is no doubt on where you belong, we were made for each other."

"Do you doubt what I feel?"

"No, I know you love me, I am just waiting till you know it too."

"There is one thing apparently I don't forget."

"What is that?"

"You, when I first woke up in the hospital, your face and your voice were in my mind. You were the first thing I recognized that walked into my room. I didn't remember your name, but when I saw you it felt like home, safe and secure."

"You never told me that."

"I know, but I didn't know who you were or what our relationship was. I just knew you made me feel safe." They just stared at each other for a while. "Booth that has to mean something doesn't it? That I could hold your face and voice when I lost everything else?"

"I am sure it does, even if we don't understand it."

"So where does this leave us?"

"Bone's we can't rush this. Let's just be us. Take one day at a time."

The next morning Booth was on the video uplink with Hodgins when Brennan came out of her bedroom. "Good Morning Dr. B."

"Morning Hodgins" she mumbled on her way to the kitchen for coffee.

"As I was saying Booth, those fibers I found come from uniform grade material, such as a police officer, security, etc. Cam wasn't able to match the DNA that she got, but if we find a suspect we do have something to compare it to."

"Thanks Hodgins for everything. Call me if you get anymore." He disconnected the uplink and sat back on the couch. "I hate not being able to go out and catch this jerk."

"If I could remember what I was working on it might help. I am so sorry."

"Bones, don't say that, it isn't like it is anything you can help. We will find this person, I promise."

She plopped down in a chair opposite him and pulled her legs up under her. Holding her Coffee up, she looked over it at him, "So what excitement are we going to do today in our mini luxury prison?"

"I am kind of movied out, how about you?"

"Yeah, as much as I have enjoyed the ones we watched, I could do with a change of pace."

"Well let me look around and see if I can find some games or a deck of cards or something." Booth started to search around for anything that the could entertain themselves with.

Brennan sat there watching him move, _I could think of something that would keep us entertained all day and we would not get bored with. Stop it Temperance, one day at a time…while…living together. That just seems wrong. _

"Bones, I found a Yahtzee game. You know how to play Yahtzee?"

"I really don't know." She was giving him an annoyed look.

"Oh yeah right, forgot."

Hodgins called once while they were playing to update Booth with some information about Angela back tracking the email that Brennan had received. They had found it had been sent from her apartment building. It was on a public computer that one of the conference type rooms the complex had.

Booth looked at Brennan, "Bones didn't you say you talked to one of the door men and he made you nervous?"

"Yes, I don't remember his name; he was on duty when you brought me home from the hospital."

"Jack is Charlie there?"

"Yeah give me a second to find him. There he is. CHARLIE, BOOTH NEEDS to talk to you."

"Hey Booth, what's up?"

"Get a list of the door men at Bone's apartment complex, check them all out. Also if you can get some pictures and find out which one was on duty the day I brought Bones home."

"You got it; I will call you as soon as I find anything."

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>Brennan had fallen asleep on the loveseat outside on the patio. She woke to hear Booth talking to someone. She got up and made her way inside, looking at the man Booth was talking to. "Hey Bones, come here, I need you to look at some pictures." Booth held up his arm motioning her to him.<p>

"Dr. Brennan nice to see you."

"Hello"

Charlie immediately realized she didn't know who he was. "I am Charlie, I work with Booth."

"Oh, nice to meet you."

"Babe" Charlie suppressed a smile at Booth's pet name for Brennan. "Take a look at these photos and tell me which doorman it was you talked with?"

She looked over the photos of the employee's at her apartment building and shook her head. "He is not here."

"Bones, he has to be, all these employee's have worked for your building for the last 5 to 10 years, since it was built."

"Booth, his picture isn't here, could it be a new employee." Booth looked to Charlie

"This building has long term employees, like Booth said that one that has been there the least amount of time is" he shuffles through the photos and pulls up a picture of a man by the name of Tony Letcher. "He has been there 5 years 3 months."

Booth flipped his phone open and called Angela. "Hey Ange, when you come home bring a sketch pad with you, we need you to draw someone Bones saw the other night at her building posing as a doorman."

After he hung up he looked at Charlie, "We need to find out who was suppose to be working that night and why there were not there when Bones left her building. Also talk to Hodgins driver; he might have seen something when he pulled up."

When Charlie left, Booth sat down on the couch trying to piece this together, but coming up with dead ends so far. Part of those dead ends was whatever Bones was working on and that was locked away in that huge brain of hers that didn't want to cooperate.

"Booth are you okay?" he hadn't heard her come up behind him

"Yeah, was just thinking about this. We still have a lot of holes, but it will come together."

"You have a lot of confidence."

"Because our team is the best at what we do. We will find out who did this. Now you pretty lady go put on something comfortable I have a surprise for you." He smiled at her as he backed towards his room.

When she emerged she was dressed in jeans and a t shirt. "Booth, you said comfortable, is this what you meant?"

"Perfect" he walked up to her, took her hand and led her out the back patio and started out across the property.

"Where are we going?"

"You will see."

They left the groomed lawn and walked along a small overgrown path to a small clearing with a tiny stream running through it. There sat a table for 2 with a candle in the center, there was a picnic basket sitting in one of the chairs and a bottle of wine chilling.

"Booth, how did you do this?"

"Having Hodgins as a friend has its advantages."

He pulled assorted fruits, cheeses and crackers and a bottle of wine out of the basket. They sat and ate, Booth filled the evening with talk of his son, things they use to do together, stories of when they first meant and how they didn't get along. Then he reached for one last item in the picnic basket, an IPOD with a docking station that ran on batteries. He turned on the music, got up and held his hand out to her. "Dance with me Bones?"

She smiled and placed her hand in his and allowed him to folder her into his arms. Feeling his body against hers as they swayed to the music, she pulled her head back to look at him. "I don't know how I could resist you. You barely touch me and I am on fire, how could I possible not realize what we have?"

"Shh, just enjoy dancing with me." She rested her head on his shoulder and got lost in the music and his scent."

They walked arm and arm back to the guest house, both feeling lightly tipsy from the wine and both extremely happy. "So, Bones, did you have a good time?"

"I quite enjoyed myself and I wished it didn't have to end."

He wrapped his arm around her as they approached her bedroom door. He kissed her. "Night Bones."

"Night Booth"


	10. Chapter 10

Angela came by the next day to have Brennan describe the door man she saw the night she left and she reminded Booth he was there the day she came home from the hospital.

The doormen that were suppose to be on duty on those two days that Brennan remembers seeing this guy had called in sick and so there was a possibility that those shifts were covered by someone from another building. "Booth the way he talked, he knew you and me, not just so and so from apartment 12B. This guy knew us; he even asked if there was a change in our relationship. Why would someone that didn't know you ask a question like that?"

"Booth I will make sure Charlie has one of these as soon as I get into the office. By the way there is no staff today, we gave them today off, since we are leaving town we gave them a 3 day weekend, so feel free to use the house or the pool whenever." Angela hugged Brennan as she left.

She joined Booth in the kitchen as they fell into their comfortable couples's routine of cooking breakfast. She just stopped in place as she started to have flashes of what she could only assume was her forgotten memories. Her eyes darted around as if she was watching a something moving in front of her.

"Bones" she heard his voice, but it was as if it was far away as she continued to have these fast forward images racing through her mind. The images continued to flash and she would pick up pieces with words, simple words. Dad, Booth, home, Jasper, and it kept on.

"Bones" again his voice, but so far away. Finally she stopped on one image, him in a hospital bed his head wrapped, he didn't know her.

"Booth!" He was right in front of her. She raised her eyes to him.

"Bones are you okay?"

"Did you have amnesia?"

"No."

"I saw you, your head" she was motioning with her hand around her head "bandaged in a hospital, you didn't know me?"

"No, no honey, I had a tumor that they removed. I reacted badly to the anesthesia and I was in a coma for 4 days. During those days I dreamed you and I were married and we owned a night club called "The Lab". All of our friends worked there with us. When I work up I was confused on where I was and it had seemed so real, it took several days for me to realize you were not my wife. They believe the book you were writing and reading to me caused the dream. You deleted the book just before I woke up and just after you would have told me you were pregnant."

"I left you after you woke up?"

"Yes, do you know why?" He knew what she said at the time, but now he was wondering if there was more and if this new Brennan would let on.

"No"

"You said you knew I was going to be okay so you went on a dig while I healed because you always said I was the only FBI guy you would work with."

She looked down as something else started to flash through her mind. "I left because I was scared of you believing I was your wife, so I left you alone to deal with it." When she brought her eyes back up to his there were tears in them. "Oh God Booth, I am so sorry. I was scared of the feelings it stirred in me. I promise I will never leave you like that again."

"Hey, hey, it is okay, it is over." He held her to him, rubbing his back and stroking her hair. "It is okay babe."

"No it isn't. How could you love me, I was not a nice…"

"Stop right there, you are a wonderful person, you have the kindest heart of anyone I know, you just think different than others, but I love everything about you, from how you can aggravate me in a flash to how you can wash the angry out of me just as fast. I would not change a thing about you."

"Even now?"

"Even now" he kissed the tip of her nose. "So did you just have a memory come back to you, is that what all that was about."

"I had several things flash through my mind, like someone was showing me pictures in fast forward and that image was the last one and the only one I could really get a grasp on."

"Something came back, that is good."

"Everything that has come back involves you."

"I am not complaining" he joked. She smiled at him, he was right at least it was something and she didn't need to dwell on it.

After their breakfast, he checked the scores of the sports he liked, while she was in getting ready to go for a swim. She came out in her bikini carrying a towel. "I think I will go up and go swimming, I need the exercise."

Booth just stared at her, "Mind if I join you?"

"Meet me there." She grinned as she headed out the patio.

The next morning Brennan woke up and she was taking a shower and again she had images flashing through her mind, but these images were of skeletons, mass graves, boxes of bones, and tables with bones laid out on them. As the water ran over her she felt she was in a class where she was being shown a bone and the corresponding name was being said at her from a great distance. She finished her shower as the images and names kept flying through her brain. She quickly wrapped a towel around her and ran from her room yelling for Booth.

He was not expecting to see a dripping Bones standing in the family room when he came running to her. She seemed very excited about something and she looked very desirable. _Stop it Booth, damn concentrate man. _

"Bones, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong Booth," she stepped up to him; he could smell her wet skin mixed with the scent of vanilla assaulted him as she moved to him. She lifted her damp hand and ran it across his face, "frontal bone" she slid her hand to the side of his head, "parietal bone", her hand slid over his cheek, "zygomatic bone, across his jaw, "mandible."

"You remember?"

"I remember some."

He forgot she was only in a towel and he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up spinning her around. As he sat her down her wet hair fell across her face. He looked down at her as she used her delicate fingers to move the strands of hair off her face. He couldn't help himself he hesitantly moved his head towards her and she looked up into his eyes, then placed her hand on the back of his neck as he moved his hand up her back to cradle her head and they slowly moved closer till their lips meant. Their kiss was one of passion and surrender. It caused an explosive reaction causing the slow smolder to ignite into flames of desire.

Booth pulled back from her, both their bodies were trembling. He gently pushed her away as she clutched at her towel, her face flushed, her eyes begging him. "Bones" he just shook his head.

Putting her hand on the side of his face, "Booth, I don't know how I know this, but I do. I love you." She pushed herself against him and captured his lips again. She wrapped her arms around him, giving in to her primal urges. When she pulled away she looked at him, "Do you feel it?"

"Huh?" he brain was not comprehending verbal vocabulary.

"When I kiss you, I feel love, I feel want, I feel surrender. I feel something…something I can't explain."

He held her face in his hands and put his forehead against hers. "Bones, I..." he groaned as her hand slip down his arm, leaving a fire trail behind it. He closed his eyes and in one fluid motion he picked her up and carried her to her room.

He sat her down just inside her door, cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. "I can't believe I am about to say this" he swallowed hard "Not now." He kissed her and left the room.

Brennan just stood staring a closed door unable to comprehend what just happened. He just walked away. He didn't want her; she just made a fool out of herself. She felt as if someone was tearing her heart out of her chest. She went and sunk down on her bed and cried until she could not cry anymore.

Booth went back to his room and sat with his back to the door. He hated the look in her eyes when walked away. Like he had just taken all her dreams and ripped them apart. He never wanted to hurt her, but he couldn't risk losing her if the other Bones came back and thought he took advantage of the situation and left him. God he loved her and wanted more than anything to be able to show her, not just sexually, but in everyway possible.

* * *

><p>Brennan needed to get away; she quietly left the guest house for the main house. She just needed to think. She returned to the study that she and Angela had sat in, she curled up in a chair and she began to think through what she knew about Booth and her, what she had been told by Angela and Booth and what she felt inside. Even now thinking about him and the rejection caused a pain in her chest.<p>

Angela and Booth had said very similar things, Booth had not denied wanting her. She knew he loved her, it was in every action. She loved him; she could feel it from deep inside. Maybe he didn't love this Brennan, maybe he loved the one he couldn't have.

But the passion between Kathy and Andy in the books had to come from somewhere. And Andy was clearly Booth, just reading a few passages; there was no doubt to her that he was Booth. So that means Kathy must be her, was she really that indifferent and cold. Booth and Angela had described her as view things differently. Were they just being kind? She dozed off in the chair thinking about Booth and what almost happened.

_Maybe he and Charlie needed to trade places. Maybe being away from her would help both of them. Or maybe they could talk and draw some boundaries, that might work they were both adults, they could come to an agreement_.

He exited his room and his eyes moved to her door, it was open. He checked there first, she wasn't there. She was not in the house or on the patio; he headed for the main house. She was not at the pool. He ran back to the guest house and dialed her phone; it went straight to voice mail_. Booth think, she wouldn't go far, it is the old Bones that would just take off. But it still was Bones and the day she took off to come see Angela was for front in his mind. _

Angela is out of town and that would be the one person she would go to, or home. He dialed Charlie.

"She has done it again, we got in an argument and she isn't here. Could you check her apartment that is the only place I would think she would go. Check mine too just to be on the safe side. I am going to search the grounds here. Call me if you find anything. Dammit Bones, why can't you just stay put when told to?"

It was late afternoon when Brennan woke up. She probably should talk to Booth. Just thinking about him caused the pain in her chest to return. They had to come to some understand to be able to cohabitate until they could put this case to rest. If they couldn't then they might have to bring another agent in to replace Booth and she didn't want that. As she finished resetting the alarm on the main house, she stared at the alarm panel. _How did she know the alarm code?_

When she got back to the guest house it was quiet, Booth wasn't anywhere to be found. She felt fear swelling up in her, he left. She walked into her room and there on the pillow was a note.

_ Call me as soon as you get this _

_ Booth_

Booth was almost to the park when his cell rang. The ring tone told him it was her.

"Bones, where the hell are you?"

"You could at least say Hello."

"Don't push me, where are you?"

"Home, where do you think I am? Why are you yelling at me?"

"Dammit Bones, what did I tell you about leaving without me."

"For your information Agent Booth, I went to the main house."

"And just how did you get into a house without tripping the alarm?"

"I used the alarm code. You made it perfectly clear this morning where we stood, I had…"

"Bones that doesn't give you permission to just leave…" he heard a click in his ear "Bones…Bones?" Of course she hung up on him; he looked at his phone, his jaw tensed as he flipped the phone closed. He flipped it back open to call Charlie and let him know she was okay.

When he arrived back at the house, her bedroom door was closed. He knocked lightly on it. "Go away Booth."

"Bones, we need to talk."

"No, I don't want to talk to you."

He tried the door, she locked it. "Open the door. I have something I need to say and I don't want to say it through a door."

"NO! Go away."

"I am asking one last time, open the door."

"Booth, just go away, I don't have anything to say to you."

The door came crashing open. "You are the most aggravating woman."

"I don't want to talk to you so you just force you way in to my room and you call me aggravating."

"You scared me to death today when I couldn't find you. I am suppose to protect you and you take off half cocked and don't tell me where you are going."

"You just rejected me; I didn't think I was suppose keep you informed of my every movement."

"I didn't reject you Bones; I just said no to…you know."

"Booth I am safe you can just leave now."

He turned to leave and stopped at the threshold of the door. He turned back towards her "NO" He closed the distance between them and grabbed her by the arms pulling her to him, his lips on hers, not soft and gently, but demanding and full of raw passion.

When he pulled back from her they were both gasping for air. "Don't ever think I don't want you Bones."

"But this morning? What do I need to do?"

"Baby, I am so scared that you will get your memory back and regret it, regret us.

"Seeley, Angela told me that maybe I got amnesia so that I could be a heart person for a while. She told me to follow my heart and not my logical brain." She put her forehead against his chin as she leaned into him. "My heart wants you. I know the pain you don't want to feel, I felt it this morning." She closed her eyes "Booth I love you and if…"she felt her head being tilted back and his lips on hers.

He pulled away from her, he wrapped on hand around her waist and the other he moved to cradle her head. "Bones, when we do this, we will be giving ourselves completely to each other. You will be surrendering to me. If you can't do that…stop me now."

"I don't want to stop."

He lifted her in his arms locked his lips to hers and carried her to the bed. He sat her down and they shed their clothing and slid between the covers. When she moved into his arms, his sharp intake of air got her attention. She looked up at him and she could see all the pent up desire in his eyes. He rolled her underneath him. He sat back on his heels and looked at the woman lying in front of him. His hands slid over her breasts and down her firm stomach to her hips. His eyes couldn't get enough of her. His eyes finding her again and locking into place while he hoovered over her before lowering his body down onto hers. "I love you Temperance" was the last thing she heard as his lips seized hers and he entered her, all she could do was feel. She could feel their love flowing between them. She was holding back nothing and what she got in return was so deep and so profound it engulfed her.

Booth could feel her surrender to him, she gave all of herself and it consumed both of them. He was sure if it was possible they were breaking the laws of physics, because their very souls were intertwined. He had never felt like this with anyone, not even the mother to his child. If it was possible, he felt the moment their souls join and began rejoicing. What he had told her about making love paled in comparison to what was transpiring between them.

After they laid spent in each others arms, her head on his chest and him lighting brushing his finger tips across her bare back. He stared up at the ceiling quietly praying that she didn't run when she got her memory back. "Bones you can't run from me when you get your memory back. What just happened between us can not be undone, there is no going back to what we were, we crossed the line.

"Booth I don't want to go back, I can't go back not after that. That…was…"

"Amazing. That was the true meaning of making love." He glanced down at her and gave her an evil grin. "So much for taking it day by day."

That evening they forced themselves into the kitchen to cook dinner, they were famished. Brennan had thrown a salad together and Booth had found some sandwich makings in the refrigerator. As he brought them over to the counter he leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek. She turned, slipped between him and the counter and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. His arms automatically came around her and held her to him. She leaned up and kissed him, that one innocent kiss re-ignited them; food was going to have to wait.


	11. Chapter 11

A few days had went by Booth and Brennan were adjusting to sleeping in the same bed. They were the first thing they saw in the morning and the last person they saw when they went to bed. One morning they overslept and awoke to their bedroom door opening. Booth immediately reacted and was sitting up right we his weapon leveled at the intruder. As recognition swept through his mind he lowered the weapon, "Oh Sorry, Ange."

After the initial shock of a gun being pointed at her wore off and she took in the disarray of blankets on the bed, she got a smirk across her face. "Well, Good morning to you two."

"It is not what it looks like, I had a bad dream again and Booth came in to console me." Brennan was sitting up with a sheet wrapped around her chest, held in place by her arms, and her tousled hair. Booth had his back to the headboard and was rubbing his hands over his face.

Angela looked unconvinced, "since when does consoling involved removal of clothing," she said as she picked up a couple of articles of clothing belonging to the only other people in the room.

Brennan took a deep breath and looked at Booth, wasn't like they could deny it they were naked in bed with each other. "Angela please don't say anything, we just want to enjoy each other for a while before everyone finds out and turns it into a circus."

Angela squealed and bounced on the balls of her feet. "I am so happy for your two, it is about time. It took Brennan losing her memory and some of her inhibitions to get you here, but I am hoping it was worth it?"

Brennan laid her head on Booths chest as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Yes it was Angela." Brennan answered.

"I have to tell Jack, you can't expect me not to tell my husband."

"Just swear him to secrecy or I will have to shoot…."

His sentence was interrupted as Jack lightly knocked on the open door and stuck his head in. "Hey Ange. WHOA, DUDE, You and Dr. B., Way to go…."

"Jack, let it go" Angela looked sideways at him.

"But this is a good thing, Booth and Brennan, YEAH Baby…" he looked nervously at his wife and the FBI agent glaring at him. "I mean congratulations?"

"We will be leaving, see you guys later." Angela says as she turned her husband and pushes him out the door.

Brennan leaned up and kissed Booth and headed for the shower. "I will be out in a few minutes." Booth got up and slipped back on his boxers and headed out to the main room as he cell began to ring.

"Hey Cam you got any good news for me?"

"Hey Big Guy, sorry nothing on the sketch of the doorman. What is really strange is no one, but Brennan seems to remember him. Didn't she say he was there when you brought her home?"

"Yeah, but I didn't notice him, I was too focused on her and…and…I let my guard down. I know better. How could I be so stupid?"

"Seeley, don't do this to yourself, it is not your fault. There is no possible way you could have known."

"I know Cam, I…know."

"But Hodgins did confirm that the fibers he found did come from a uniform grade material, same color as the doorman's uniforms. Not much but something, we will catch the person that did this to her. What concerns me more is that someone knew what she was working on, which means they had to of seen her."

"So you are saying that you think there is someone inside the Jeffersonian?"

"How else could they have figure out what she was working on Seeley?"

"Cam we need to make sure anything regarding this is limited to a need to know only basis."

"One step ahead of you big guy, you, me, Hodgins, Angela, and Charlie are the only ones that are getting any information. And, we are working behind locked doors."

"Thanks Cam."

* * *

><p>He started coffee in the kitchen and then went to the bathroom; he could see her through the shower door. He leaned against the wall and simply watched her. He missed the old Bones, but he liked the softer version also. Not that the old Bones wasn't able to be soft. He had seen this side in the old Bones before, when he could feel her drop her hard outer shell and seek him for comfort and protection.<p>

When he came out of his thoughts, he noticed she was watching him and smiling. He relieved himself of his boxers and joined her in the shower.

"Agent Booth you were staring."

"I have been staring at you for years; I just don't mind getting caught now." He pulled her to him and kissed her while the water cascaded down his back. She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his back.

"I knew you stared at me." He pulled her away from him and pulled her face towards him to look into her eyes.

"You knew?"

"Yes Booth, I…I…" her eyes widened, "I did know, how did I know?"

"Bones, don't think too much, just let the memories come as they will. They seem to come back when you are the most relaxed, so try not to think about them."

"You are probably right." She hugged him and then stepped out of the shower and headed off to the kitchen to cook them some breakfast.

Booth joined her for breakfast and he then the fell into a daily routine of spending time outside on the patio. Booth had taken up gardening in planters, something to keep busy. Being confined was being confined even if it was in luxury and he was going nuts not being able to work on this case and having nothing to do. He felt like he was hiding from his responsibility. Then all he had to do was take one look at her and he remembered why he was here.

"Bones, I talked to Cam this morning."

"Oh"

"She said the fibers that Hodgins checked out are of uniform grade clothing and the color matches the doormen's uniforms." He studied her for a quick moment then continued. "There is no match on sketch of the doorman Angela made, no one remembers seeing him."

"Booth he was there, I swear."

"Bones, I believe you. We just need to find him."

"There's more." He reached over and took her hands "They believe there is someone on the inside that knew what you were working and on how close you were getting."

He could see the anxiety rising in her. "Someone in the Jeffersonian?"

"Yeah babe."

"So I can't really trust anyone." She looked scared, something that he was not use to seeing from her."

"Hey, you got me, Angela, Jack, Cam, and your father."

"I trusted Zach too and that didn't turn out to well."

He looked puzzled at her, "You…remember Zach."

"Of course I remember Zach…Booth I remember Zach. I remember Zach. I remember he was brilliant, but Gormogon's logic was flawed and Zach was too inexperienced to understand that." She looked sadly at her hands resting in her lap.

"Bones you remember Gormogon too?"

She nodded, "He would create a sculpture of bones of his victims while training an apprentice. When his sculpture was done, he retired, the apprentice became the master and would pick himself an apprentice."

"Yeah you Okay?"

"Yes, but…how do I know who to trust?"

"Do you trust me?"

She looked shocked at his question. "Of course Booth."

He wrapped her in his arms, "Okay, then you need to trust that I will not let anyone around you that will hurt you." He felt her nod against his chest.

Several days had passed, it was the weekend and as much as they loved their time together, they were more than happy to spend time with Jack and Angela. They were enjoying an afternoon around the pool laughing and joking.

Angela pulled Brennan away and into the house she had been dying to have some alone time with her and get all the juicy details. "So Bren…how are things going with Agent Studly?"

Brennan smiled, "Things are wonderful, I am very happy. I don't know how we stayed away from each other, he looks at me and I melt. How did I not see this before?"

"Sweetie, I think you saw it, you just didn't know how to read it, you didn't understand what it was. Now that you know, when you get all you memories back, then you can take the next step, what ever that step is for you and Booth."

Brennan stood by a window looking out at Booth and Hodgins talking, a smile creeping across her face, then flashes of pictures in her mind. "Bren…Brennan…Temperance…BOOTH!"

Booth and Jack came running into the study "What is it?" Angela just pointed at Brennan

Booth turned and recognized what was happened. "It is okay Angela, she is having a memory come back. I know her staring into space is scary, but she is okay."

"The same but different" she repeated as she saw a picture of the doorman and then another man, one she should recognize but didn't, their pictures kept sliding together, then apart. "The same but different."

"Bones…Sweetheart, talk to me." Booth turned and looked at Hodgins "She has never talked before when this happens. Bones come on babe talk to me."

She turns and looks at Booth "They are the same but different Booth."

"Who Bones?'

"The doorman and the other man, they are the same but different."

"Bones, you are talking gibberish."

She looked at Booth, "It is like laying a picture of one over the other. "They are alike, but they aren't. Like people that are related."

"So this person could be a relative of this other person?"

"Yes"

"Do you know who this other person is?"

"I think I should, but I really don't know."

"Can you describe him for Angela?"

"Yes"

As they sat Brennan began to describe this other man to Angela. Jack and Booth behind them hovering. "Sweetie lets take 5 minutes and stretch" Angela stands up and turns to Booth and Hodgins "You two out."

"Angela" Hodgins begs

"No both of you out, you are driving me nuts and Booth you are so close to losing your trigger finger you have no idea. This will go much faster with you two out of the room."

As the face took on more form Angela looked at Brennan. "Bren, you are sure this is the face you are seeing?"

"Yes I am, why?"

"Sweetie, let me get Booth in here."

Angela brought Booth and Hodgins in as she held the drawing against herself. She turned her sketch pad around and held it out towards Booth. He looked at the drawing in disbelief. He turned his eyes to Brennan. "Bones are you sure?"

"Yes Booth, Why?"

"Just making sure, that's all." He got up and walked out of the room with the sketch picked up his phone and dialed Charlie's number.

"Angela you all seem to know that person, who is it?"

Angela sat down next to Brennan, turned slightly towards her and took her hands, "Sweetie that is your brother, Russ."

Brennan started to have problems breathing, confusing washed over her face. "My…my brother?"

"Sweetie look at me, breath we will figure this out, breath." She pulled her friend into an embrace and rocking her while Hodgins sat down on the other side of Brennan and placed his hand on her shoulder. Looking over Brennan at Angela he locked shocked eyes with shocked eyes.

"Charlie I want to know every move he has made since before this happened. I want to know when he got up to go to the bathroom. And most of all I want to know why. Call me back when you get anything."

Booth came back into the room his eyes met Angela's. Charlie's got the information, now we just wait. Booth wanted nothing more than to go out and handle this himself, but he knew that she needed him and he would be there when she did.

She raised her head off Angela's shoulder when she heard him talk. She went into his arms and clung to him. "I want to go home Booth."

"Okay let's go. Angela, Jack see you later, thanks for everything."

"Booth if you need anything just let us know." Angela offered.

"Thanks."

As they approached the guest house the confusing, the fear, and the reality of what was occurring washed over her all at once. Her knees gave out and the tears started to flow. He caught her and carried her into the guest house. "Shh it is okay, you are safe." As Booth sat on the couch with her curled up safely in his arms, his cell rang.

"Charlie give me some good news."

"We have Max, bringing him in and Agents are moving in on Russ now. Do we tell Max what is going on?"

"Yeah, you tell him what has happened, if he needs to talk to me, YOU call me, but do not under any circumstances let him know where we are. Let me know once you get Russ.

"Why did we bring Dr. Brennan's father in?"

"To keep him from finding Russ before we do."

"Do you think…?" his voice trailed off

"I'm not taking any chances."

Brennan had quieted and just stayed curled up in his arms staring at the opposite wall.

"Bones" she shook her head, she didn't want to talk, she didn't want to think, she just wanted to be held quietly. Booth understood and he rested his cheek against the top of her head and obliged.


	12. Chapter 12

He had held her for what seemed like hours when his phone rang. "Booth"

"Booth, it's Charlie."

"Give me some good news." He said as he moved across the room from where she lay.

"I can't, Russ disappeared and no one has seen him in several weeks."

Booth closed his eyes and his jaw tensed as he stared out the window. He glanced at her sleeping form on the couch and he slipped out to the patio. "What do you mean he disappeared?"

"He was pretty much living at the hospital, his daughter has been pretty sick, and work. Then he just up and vanished. Booth he vanished about the same time as Dr. Brennan got the threatening email."

Booth wanted to punch something or someone. He never took Russ for the kind of person that would try to kill his own sister. What was she getting close to that would cause him to attack her. Only one person could possibly answer that. "Charlie, I need to talk to Max, get a phone to him and call me." He turned to go back in and Brennan was standing there watching him. _How was he going to tell her they didn't know where her brother was? She might not remember her brother, but he was still her brother and right now she was still very fragile mentally, to much more could be too much for her to handle._

He slowly walked up to her and pulled her to him, she laid her head under his chin against his chest and her arms around his waist. She knew by the way he held her this was not good. "They don't have him, do they?"

"No, he disappeared awhile ago. About the same time as when you got the email." She didn't move, she didn't say anything to him; she just closed her eyes and held on to him.

"Bones, Charlie is getting a phone to Max, your father, so I can talk to him. I am going to get Angela to come sit with you while I talk with him, I don't think it is a good idea for you to have to listen to that talk." She didn't move, she didn't react, "Bones?"

"No"

"Bones, I…"

"No" she pulled away from him and straightened herself. No I want to hear what is said."

"Bones, you have been hit by a lot; this could be bad for your progress."

"Booth, I will be fine."

"I know you are strong but Bones…this is different."

"I need to take this risk, if he says anything that can help my memory, then I need to take the risk and you need to let me."

He studied her and then pursed his lips and nodded, "Okay"

His phone rang "Booth…hold on let me put this on speaker, Bones wants to listen."

After the phone was placed on speaker, Booth sat it down on the counter. "Max are you there?"

"Yeah right here. Tempe?" Brennan looked at Booth, she didn't know if she was suppose to say anything. He nodded at her.

"Yes I am here."

"Oh honey, I miss you, how are you doing?" Again she looked at Booth, but with confusing and a little fear, she didn't remember Max and right now didn't trust him."

"Max she isn't ready for old home week."

"Booth, she is my daughter…"

Booth's jaw tensed and his voice came out harshly "I am well aware of that Max, but I am looking at her and she is scared of everyone. So right now my only concern is to catch the son of a bitch that did this to her and making her feel safe again." He paused a moment "I need your help to do that."

There was a long silence "Tempe, I am sorry, I love you. Booth what do you need?"

"When was the last time you talked to Russ?"

"It has been a while. I talked to Amy a few weeks ago, she was looking for him. Before that, probably a month."

"Did he seem different, preoccupied, anything?"

"Wait you think Russ had something to do with what happened to Tempe?"

"Max we don't know, we are just following up on any possible leads."

"What do you mean you don't know? Booth you have my daughter hidden away somewhere, the least you can do it tell me what the hell is going on."

"Mr. Kennon ... Dad …" she looked hesitantly at Booth and took a deep breath "I get images flashing in my head. Most have been of Booth. Earlier I got images in my head of a man and the doorman, that doesn't seem to exist, their faces coming together and then drifting apart. They had me describe the image in my head to Angela and when she drew it, it turned out to be Russ. I think that is what Booth means by he doesn't know."

"Max until I know better, I have to count Russ as a suspect and with him disappearing it doesn't look good."

"I understand, but why did you bring me in."

"Max I didn't want you finding Russ before us. You tend to do drastic things when someone threatens Bones."

"Booth, he is my son."

"And you are Max Kennon. Max if you know where he is contact him, I need to talk to him. If you don't, I know you have connections, but don't do anything drastic."

"I won't. Booth…you take care of her."

"I will Max."

After hanging up with Max she walked over and sat down in a chair.

"Hey why don't I get us some dinner?"

"I'm not hungry Booth."

He went over and leaned over her putting his hands on the arms of the chair on either side of her. "I will catch who did this to you, no matter who it is."

"What if you don't, do I stay living like a hermit?"

He put his forehead to hers "Sometimes those pieces of a jigsaw puzzle you get. Pieces here and there put together, but you can't get them connected to the main puzzle, then one day you find just the right piece and boom everything falls into place. That is kind of what we do, we look and we look and one day we find the right piece. It just takes time."

He gently kissed her on the cheek and decided to give her some time, he headed off to the kitchen, she needed to eat and he was just the person to make sure she did.

She closed her eyes and prayed for her memory and if not for her memory just for what she was working on so they could put an end to this. While she was thankful for Booth and she loved him, she wanted more than life in the guest house.

She went into the bathroom and drew a bath, once in the tub she laid back and closed her eyes, letting the hot watch relax her tense body. As she relaxed her mind started to wander as if she had no control over it. It wandered to a different time and place, she was much younger, and she was more easily impressed by people, more trusting. Russ' face was there smiling at her, then it faded to the doorman that was smiling and asking her personal questions about things he shouldn't know about, things Russ couldn't have known, only things a lover would know.

"Baby, baby wake up, it is me, wake up."

"The doorman only knew things someone that was intimate with me would know. Things you would know."

Booth flipped out his cell. "Charlie it is Booth, get all pictures you can find from Dr. Brennan's apartment, she has a box of loose pictures in her closet in her bedroom also, don't forget that one." After he ended his call he turned to her "There is some dinner in the kitchen for you, please try to eat." He left the bathroom; she heard a few drawers open and close and then the bedroom door close.

When she dressed and came out the guest house was eerily quiet. There was no sign of Booth. There was a tofu stir fry in the kitchen for her and a note on the counter.

_ You are locked in and the alarm is set. I have went to meet with Charlie and  
><em>_ I will be back late. Get some rest and if my hunch is right I might have some  
>answers by morning for you.<em>

_ Booth_

She sat quietly and ate, she hadn't realized how accustom to having him there she had become. Without him there the house was overly quiet and she was nervous being alone. She hadn't been alone since, Booth found her she assumed. He had been there the whole time for her protecting her.

She grabbed her cell and pushed the speed dial for him. "Booth"

"Hey"

"Bones are you okay?"

"Um … when are you …coming home?"

"It might be awhile, you are safe."

"This is the first time I have been alone since I woke up at the hospital. You have been with me everyday."

"I will be home as soon as I can."

"Be careful Booth."

He closed his eyes as she ended the call. Sitting in his SUV, he raised the night vision goggles and surveyed the grounds outside the guest house. He hated he had to do this, but with what he learned, if it worked this nightmare would be over.

Booth had left earlier and met up with Charlie to look over the pictures he got from Bones apartment. One picture stood out to him and he needed Angela to confirm his suspicion.

Angela greeted him as she approached her office. "What do we have Booth"

"Remember Bones was saying 'the same but different'. Look at this picture of Russ and now look at this picture, do you see it?"

"You think?" Angela just starred at the picture in shock.

"Yeah, can you feed these into your Angelator?"

"Sure give me about 30 minutes and I should have something for you."

While Booth waited, he called Max and told him of his suspicions being very careful not to mention any names. If he was right there was a chance that Russ had not left on his own. He assured Max once he knew something he would let him know, but with Max's history the less he knew the better.

He went and checked on Angela. "Any progress."

"Yep" She punched some buttons and both pictures that she scanned in came up on Angelator. "Okay Booth what do you want me to do first."

"Got to think like Bones, so take them down to a skull if you can." Once that was done he had her color each skull a different color, Russ's dark blue and the other one a light blue. Then she had them bring the images of the skulls together. As they looked at the image on the Angelator, they looked at each other. The skulls pictures were a close match, 'the same, but different'.

"How did you think of that?"

"Bones goes by the bone structure. Her mind might still process that way. It was worth a shot."

"So why did she see Russ?"

"I think because he was someone we all would recognize and he was 'the same but different' from the doorman." He saw Angela's confused look." The doorman's bone structure was similar to Russ's." She took the drawing of the doorman she mde and the other picture she up loaded on the Angelator and her eyes widened. How did she not see it before?

"So where is Russ?"

"I don't know, but I don't think he left on his own."

Booth got Charlie, and Agent Perotta to meet him and Angela at the Jeffersonian. He had agents checking locations trying to find where Russ was at, if he was still alive. His gut told him Russ was alive and he hoped it was right.

Max showed up at the Jeffersonian while they were outlining their plan of attack. "Max what are you doing here?" Booth asked. He held out a paper to Booth with an address on it. "Russ is here."

"You sure Max?"

"Booth, my contacts might be old but they are not senile."

"Okay so let's get some eyes out there and make sure, once we are positive, we will get the rest of this in order to draw this guy away and get Russ out of there. Perotta take Max with you and don't let him kill anyone."

"Angela when I give you the signal I need you to get Bones to uplink and check her email where she will find this email with this picture and our suspicions. That should draw him out. Perotta once you have Russ, let us know.

"Booth are you going to tell Bren what you are doing."

"No, I don't think she can handle it right now."

"Booth, she is going to be ticked."

"I have to take that chance, because right now I don't think she can mental handle knowing that we are using her for bait."

As everyone headed out Booth turned back to Angela, "I don't know if I am doing the right thing with 'this' Bones, she is still very fragile. I'm walking on egg shells here."

"I know Booth" She gave him a worried smile.

Once they got all set up and Booth got confirmation from Perotta that Russ was where he was told, he called Angela and had her send the email to Bones, wait 5 minutes, then call her to check her email from the guest house.

Hodgins had been sent to the lab to be with Angela while they hoped their plan worked. The mansion was now covered by several FBI agents waiting in the shadows.

Brennan had entered the bedroom and began getting ready for bed. Being in a guest house on an estate leaves a person not bothering with the smaller details of closing curtains while disrobing.

Booth was making a sweep of the area surrounding the house when he was slightly blinded through the night vision by the brighter lights of the bedroom. He switched the night vision for binoculars and when he focused on her his mouth went dry. _I should not be watching._ He pulled the binoculars away hastily and swallowed hard. He raised them back up and found her again; it was as if things went to slow motion. _Her hands slipping into the waistband and then slowly slid down her legs taking her sweats with them._ His phone ringing forced him to pull the binoculars away from his eyes. Taking a quick breath trying to clear the image of her long, shapely, and soft legs from his mind. "Booth"

"Perotta, we have eyes on Russ, should be easy to get to him once the target leaves."

"Okay, once he leaves get Russ and let me know. Going to call Angela now and get this started." He looked towards the house and watched as the bedroom light went off. Back to the night vision and the reason he was out here, no time for distractions. He could see streams of light coming from the main part of the guest house, she was still awake and Charlie had eyes on that side of the house and her.

Once Angela was called he replaced his phone and radio with an earpiece, put on his FBI vest that had special compartments for his radio and cell to be carried in. He moved out of his SUV and stealthily moved around to a better vantage point where he could watch two sides of the house and her inside.

He saw her answer her phone, she picked up her laptop moved it to the coffee table. He watched her hand come up to her mouth as she recognized the picture. She might not know the person's name, but he was the doorman. He watched as she curled up clutching a throw pillow to her, he wanted nothing more than to go hug her and tell her it was okay.

"Look alive everyone he said quietly over the radio. The trap has been activated."

Waiting seemed to cause time to slow down; minutes seemed like hours when Charlie's quiet voice came over the radio. "I have movement south side of the house, dark figure moving towards the bedroom window."

Booth started adjusted his position, but something inside of him told him not to move. Something was wrong; he could still see Brennan curled up on the couch hugging the pillow. Charlie's voice again came across his radio the subject was at the bedroom window, trying to open it. Again aside from the radio, Booth heard nothing, he didn't acknowledge Charlie. He watched Bones for any reaction to noise, there wasn't any. And the house was alarmed, if someone was trying to open a window, the alarm would go off, unless….

He grabbed his phone, he pushed the familiar speed dial button and he watched her as she moved to pick up her phone. "Hello"

"Hey, I need you do to me a favor."

"Okay"

"Walk to the alarm panel and check if the alarm is set. I am sure I set it on the way out, but I just wanted to make sure."

"Booth, Charlie reset it when he was here earlier."

"When was Charlie there?"

"Just before you and I talked on the phone earlier."

"Babe listen to me and listen very carefully. I need you turn off the lights and then I need you to come out the window in front of you. Bones, you can't act scared, be as normal as you can be." She hung up the phone and did as he told her to do. As soon as her feet hit the ground a hand came around her waist and another one over her mouth as her back is pulled against something hard.

Panic was rising in her stomach as she was pulled further and further from the mansion. Her body started to tense, fear started to overtake her. Then his voice was soft in her ear, "It's okay, I've got you." Her eyes were wide with fear, it wasn't Booth's voice, it was him. "What your precious Booth isn't here to save you this time? He is so damn predictable."


	13. Chapter 13

Across town Perotta and Max were breaking into where Russ was held, which was a slow daunting task. Every single step they took to gain access had to be painfully analyzed to make sure they would not set off any alarms, any mistake could cause this to go horribly wrong. 30 minutes after they started they finally got to Russ. They got Russ out and it was only when they were a safe distance away did they learn, the person they were after had not been working alone, he had help, inside help, but Russ didn't know who. Perotta immediately tried to call Booth and only got his voice mail. She frantically tried again, and again got his voicemail.

"Russ is there anything, anything that you remember about this other person, the way he walked, the way he sounded, have you heard his voice before, anything?" Perotta asked

"Something has went wrong hasn't it?" Max said staring intently at Perotta

"Booth isn't answering his phone, I have to assume yes."

"I have heard this other guys voice before, but I don't know where from. I never saw him, but I know his voice."

Perotta put her SUV into gear, turned on the lights and siren and began making her way across town towards the Mansion. "You keep thinking of that voice."

Perotta turned off her siren way before she came close to the mansion as to not give away her location anymore than she already had. She picked up her radio to call Booth or Charlie to find see if either would answer her and to her relief Charlie did.

"Can you let Booth know that our target is secure?"

"Will do, are you enroute here?"

As Perotta brought the mic to her mouth Russ jerked it out of her hand before she could answer. "That is the voice. That is the other person."

"You are accusing a Federal … officer, are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am sure."

Perotta took the mic back from Russ, turned off her lights and pulling to the side of the road, "No we will meet you guys back at Hoover when you are done."

"What the hell are you doing? That is my daughter that is there."

"Max, I am going. You and Russ aren't. I can't risk it" she got a hold of another FBI unit to meet her and she promptly handcuffed Russ and Max to the inside of her SUV. "Someone will be by soon to get you; don't rip my car apart please."

Booth lay on the ground with a knee between his shoulder blades, his head being held up by a hand laced in his hair and a gun to his head if he tried anything. He lay there helpless as he watched Bones being pulled away. He had told her to listen to him, he had told her to climb out that window, and he had handed her over to them. He was furious and there was nothing he could do about it.

Booth was brought up to where they had Bones. His eyes meant hers and his blood started to boil. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was gagged. His hands were tied behind his back as he was hogtied.

"So Booth how does it feel to know you couldn't protect her?" Michael Styers asked.

"You touch her and I will kill both of you." Booth glared at Styers and Charlie."

Styers laughed at Booth, "You don't look in much of a position to be threatening anyone."

"Charlie you had such promise."

Charlie avoided looking at Booth, a man he highly respected, "Well FBI doesn't pay as well as the Romano family. Booth I am sorry, she was getting to close, she would have…."

Styers hit Charlie hard on the head. "Shut up you moron."

Styers walked over to Brennan and leaned down near her face while watching Booth. "She was mine once and she will be mine again before I kill her." Booth strained against the ropes as he stared at Bones, helpless to take the fear he saw away from her. "To bad she lost her memory, I miss the feisty Tempe." Styers leaned over and kissed her on cheek then grinned at Booth.

* * *

><p>As Perotta and 2 other FBI agents arrived in the area of the mansion they parked several blocks away and continued the rest of the way on foot. Perotta had been told by the two agents accompanying her, they had been sent home by Charlie on Booth's order. They were told the information they had was faulty. So the best Perotta could figure there would be Charlie, Styers, Booth, and Brennan at the very least, on this property somewhere.<p>

Perotta and the other agents separated once they had scaled the fence to gain access to the property. Perotta donned night vision goggles and slowly and systematically maneuvered her way around the estate hoping she wasn't too late.

She caught movement in front of her. She lowered herself to her belly as she watched movement below the SUV blocking her view. She could see Dr. Brennan, hands tied behind her back and gagged, she saw Booth hogtied and she could see 2 sets of feet moving around. She could guess who they belonged to.

Perotta started to make her way around to where Booth was, hoping she could get close enough to let him know she was there without giving herself away to the other two. There was a single lantern sitting on the ground near Brennan leaving some dark shadows behind Booth. Perotta's timing had to be perfect to avoid detection. As she lay in the shadows she watched Styers and Charlie, they had their backs to Booth, this was her only chance. As quietly as she could she slid forward, Booth turned his head the best he could and caught her eye for only a moment before he felt some hard being slipped into his hand. Perotta disappeared from view but she snapped a fallen twig as she moved into the shadows.

As Styers reached for night vision goggles, Perotta was on her feet and heading for the trees that surrounded the back part of the estate. With her goggles back in place she watch as Styers looked for her in the direction he last heard her go. She now was moving quietly stalking him, waiting for the perfect moment.

Charlie panicked as Styers took off after Perotta and he grabbed Brennan jerking her to her feet. He grabbed her by the back of the shirt to control her movement and keep her in front of him.

Booth silently watched as he felt the object in his hand, discovering it was a knife. He turned it over and started to saw at the ropes holding his hands and legs together. The knife was sharp and did its job fast, he moved slightly working to loosen the ropes so he would not get tangled in them.

A shot was fired, then another shot, then silence. Charlie was starting to panic as silence after the gunshots became deafening. "STYERS … STYERS"

"Charlie, I think he is gone." Booth's voice remained calm as he lay on the ground.

"You shut up, he is not." Charlie was shaking the gun he held wildly around.

"Okay, Okay, whatever you say."

Brennan face was drained of all color as she was being jerked in different directions by Charlie. Charlie stopped moving around and around long enough for Brennan to really look at Booth and he lifted a hand into view. Her eyes now showed some hope, she knew Booth was no longer bound, there was a chance.

"Charlie, listen to me." Booth started "Stop now, put your gun down, turn Dr. Brennan loose and I will let them know you helped us."

"The Romanos will kill me if she finds out."

"If she finds out what Charlie?"

"The bones she was …" Charlie looked hard at Booth. "I know what you are trying to do; you are trying to get me to slip up, trying to get me to spill my guts because your girlfriend here can't remember what she was working on. Well, it doesn't work that way Booth." Charlie started to jerk Brennan over towards Booth, he rubbed the barrel of the gun against her head.

"Charlie that is not what I was trying to do. Right now I just want to get us all out of this alive."

"LIAR!" Charlie screamed as he placed the gun to her head and there was a distance popping sound. Charlie and Brennan collapsed on the ground, him partially on top of her. Booth heart went to his throat as he watched them both collapse. He quickly retrieved Charlie's gun and shoved him off the top of Brennan. Charlie had a bullet hole to his head, he was gone. Booth turned his attention back to the motionless Brennan.

"Bones …Bones" he gently rolled her over, blood covered the front of her shirt near her abdomen, her eyes were closed and her face looked so peaceful. He felt her neck for a pulse and breathed out a sigh of relief when he found it.

"Booth" Perotta's voice came out of the darkness "Styers is dead."

"We need an ambulance. I think Bones has been hit." Booth begins checking Bones for injuries.

"NO, No I couldn't have hit her, only him. Only him," A very young scared FBI agent almost yelled as he stepped into view. "Agent Booth, I couldn't have hit her, I had a clean shot."

"What's your name?" Booth queried

"Ed"

"Ed, I need you to get on your radio and call for an ambulance and the go open the front gate to the estate and show them where we are when they get here. Can you do that?"

"Yes Sir."

Booth turned his attention back to Brennan, "Come on Baby wake up, I need you to wake up." His hands were shaking as he examined her body for any signs she had been shot. Finding none, he breathed a little easier, but was still concerned that she was unconscious.

Having to sit with her again, unconscious, while he waited for an ambulance caused Booth to experience some anxiety. "Thank God you are okay," he stuttered, fighting the emotions that were attempting to overtake him, when her eyes fluttered open. She looked at the ambulance and then back to Booth. "They are just going to take you and have you checked out. You have been through a lot recently."

"Are you coming with me?"

"I will meet you there. You are in good hands."

"Booth, I was suppose to be safe before when you were gone and … would you please come with me?"

He couldn't argue, she was right. He nodded slightly and climbed in the back of the ambulance with her.

She had a bump on the head probably caused when Charlie fell on her after he was shot. The hospital wanted to keep her overnight for observation. She didn't want to stay at the hospital. He tried to reason with her; however, she was not being rational. She refused any logic he handed to her. She wanted to leave the hospital and she was prepared to leave with him or without him. The old Bones was showing through a little at a time.

Booth relented and took him to his apartment. She sat on his couch following him with her eyes as he checked all doors and windows. When he was done he sat next to her and lifted his arm welcoming her into his side. "Is this over Booth?"

"Probably for right now, but we still don't know what you found that caused them to go to these extreme measure." He saw the worry on her face; he could see the strain the events of this evening had on her. He wished he could give her an easy answer, but he couldn't, he could only be there to help her feel safe and love her. "We will find out what you were working on, we always find out."

She smiled at his reassurance, "Thank you"

He stood and held his hand out to her, "come on lets get some sleep." She took his hand and leaned against him as they walked to his room.

Bones drifted off long before Booth as usual. He stared at his dark ceiling wondering what life would be like if Bones didn't get her memory back? While he loved her no matter what, he missed the brilliant scientist and would miss her if she didn't return.

As he closed his eyes to let sleep claim him Brennan mumbled, "85 …"

He turned and looked at her, "What Babe?"

"85… the number on the box…."

"What box?" Booth realized she was talking in her sleep.

"Tell Cam, she will get this."

"Tell Cam what?"

"To get the box 85-23...4…She will understand."

"What is in the box?"

"Bones." She mumbled sarcastically. Even in her sleep she could be sarcastic.

The next morning Booth slipped out of bed before Brennan woke up and walked out into the kitchen to call Cam. Cam let him know she would head in early and pull that box out of limbo and she would pull the correlating file for him to look at when he got there. As he hung up the phone Brennan was leaning against a door jam watching him.

"Bones do you remember your dream last night?"

"I don't recall dreaming."

"You talked in your sleep and gave me a number to a limbo box, 85-234. Cam is on her way now to pull it and see if we can figure out what you found." She smiled. "Don't get too excited till we see what Cam finds, okay?"

"Okay." She hooked her thumb back towards the bedroom, "I am going to take a shower."

"I will make some breakfast." She smiled and turned away from him and he felt a warmth radiate through his body as he watched her disappear into his bedroom.

* * *

><p>She had agreed not to get to excited, but this was a chance for all this to be over and maybe she and Booth could be a normal couple. She smiled slightly at that, she seemed to feel nothing with them was ever normal.<p>

As they ate breakfast she asked him an unusual question, "Booth … which me do you prefer?"

"Trick question there Bones?" he chuckled

"I just thought if you could pick one, which would you pick?"

Booth laughed, "Yep trick question, there is no right answer. Bones, I love you, this is one side of you, one side that I caught glimpses of over the years, but as soon as I saw her she was pushed back behind those protective walls you have around yourself. I love the scientist and all your socially awkward science moments. I love your independence, even when it can be hazardous to your health. And don't take that as permission to not follow my orders in the future. I love your weaknesses that no one but me knows about. I love the whole package whether it is wrapped in this Bones or the other one."

"So then if I don't get my memory back and I am this Bones and not what I was before that is okay?"

"I love you, you love me, I don't care if you are an anthropologist or a best selling author or not. I just want you to be happy and I will do everything I can to make you happy. So while I might miss some parts of the other Bones, you are still you and I love you."

"I got scared I won't get my memory back and that you might not want … me … like this."

He got up and leaned over the corner of the kitchen table and crooked his finger at her signaling her to lean towards him. He took her face in his hands. He gently kissed her, looked pointedly at her and told her not to move and he left the room. Upon returning he moved his chair so he was sitting facing her.

"Bones, I don't want you to read into this and I don't want you to over think it when you get your memory back, promise."

"I promise." She eyed him warily, he was very antsy and being very deliberate in putting his sentences together.

A couple of years ago I found something that reminded me of you and I tried to ignore it, but finally gave in and I swore that one day I would give it to you. I just never found the right time, but I think now is the right time.

He pulled out a small gray velvet box and opened it. Inside was a silver and turquoise dolphin necklace. "I have wanted to give this to you for the last 2 years, but I didn't want you to think it meant something that would scare you away. Now I want you to use it to remind you that I am not going anywhere, no matter what Bones , I am sticking around."

She looked at the necklace, "Booth where did you find this?"

"You like it?"

"I love it and I will use it as a reminder as you suggested."

"Booth"

"Hey Big Guy" Cam came back "Well, are you sitting down?"

"Why?"

"There is no box in limbo and no computer files for 85-234."

"What?"

"Sorry Booth, not sure what to tell you"

"Cam" he looked directly at Bones as he spoke the rest of his sentence "I need you to check Bones' computer, her personal files, she keeps her own files until she has conclusions before adding it to the official files. Her log in is TBrennan and her password is Jupiter. Let me know if you find anything."

"Okay Booth, I will call you back."

"Booth, how do you know my log in information? You knew it the day we went to the lab."

"Because I know you." he chuckled, "and you always use passwords that mean something to you. Favorite flower, planet, me, etc."

She looked down not saying anything. "Booth how well did I know you?"

"Hey, you know me. You know me here," he said tapping his chest, "the rest is just icing on the cake." He watched her. "Babe, we talked about all this before."

"Is that all I know, because it doesn't seem like much?"

"When we get back out to Hodgins, we will sit down and I will tell you everything you know about me."


	14. Chapter 14

After arriving back at the guest house they got themselves settled back in. Until this finally person was caught this was the safest place for them, but this time Booth was not going to make any mistakes around allowing anyone her.

He had Cam use his FBI log in to do checks that he needed done, but didn't trust anyone else to do. He had her put out directives in his name to Agents to look into Michael Styers and Charlies backgrounds, bank accounts, friends, enemies, any and all information that might lead them to the person that they were going to kill Bones for.

After he got off the phone he turned to find Brennan sitting on a small love seat with her arms cross over her chest just staring at him. "Bones, are you okay?"

"You said when we got here you would tell me everything I know about you."

He sighed and went and sat down by her, "You remember our talk at your place when I told you about me?" she nodded "That is me in a nutshell."

She looked annoyed at him "That is not what I was talking about and you know it."

He turn towards her and leaned his side against the back of the love seat. "Most of this will only scratch the surface, because there are things you know about me that can't be described, just like there are things I know about you that I just can't put into words."

Before he could start to speak she reached up and slid her hand along his T shirt until she found what she was looking for. She could feel the scar through the shirt and she rolled her finger in circular motions over it. "Where did this come from?"

He lifted his hand to cover hers "At the end of a case we worked, one of the suspects had gotten infatuated with me and was going to shoot you, I stepped in front of you."

Her hand stopped tracing the scar and just looked at him. "You got shot for me?"

"I was just standing between you and her, kind of a habit to make sure I am between you and harm."

"And the one on your leg, you took that for me too?"

He smiled slightly at the memory, while staring at his lap, "Not exactly Bones." He raised his eyes to her, "That is where you shot me." He could see the color drain from her face and he quickly added, "It was an accident, a ricochet."

"I shot you?"

He chuckled as he started to tell her the story of the young girl they were going to save, hoping their information was correct, if it was they would not be solving one homicide, they would be bringing one victim home alive.

"You were dressed as Wonder Woman." She tilted her head to the side. "Okay, you don't remember who that is?"

"Not sure."

"He went to the computer and pulled up an image of wonder woman. "I have a picture of me and you and I am dressed like that."

"Right Bones and the caption says, "After a really bad date."

"Back to the story, you and I headed into the basement of this building and I turn around and you are holding that walrus of a gun of yours. To this day I do not know where the hell you would carry that big of a gun in that small of a costume." She giggled at his animated description of how big the gun was, he held his hands out as far as he could to both side of his body and then when describing how small her costume was he pulled his hands in and made a small circle with his thumbs and middle fingers are both hand touching, creating a very small circle that he turned to emphasize to her. "After carrying you into the room where the girl was, over snakes I might add. Did you know you are scared of snakes if I am around to crawl on?" He smiled at her, anyway the lock on that door was locked and you wanted to shoot it off and before I could stop you, you shot a steel door and the bullet ricocheted around and ended up in grazing my leg."

She slid her hand to the inside of his left thigh, "what about this one?"

"Red hot screw driver. Your dad and you saved me from a small time mobster guy."

She studied him as if she was trying to remember little insignificant things about him, things that, like he said, you just know. He smiled at her "I was suppose to start talking and then you were suppose to ask questions, it didn't work that way. So what is going on in that pretty head of yours?"

"What are some of the things you said I just know?"

"Wow, Okay. You know I like to wear my beer hat in the bathtub while I read a graphic novel …"

"Comic Book."

"Graphic. novel." He held her gaze, trying not to smile and failing. "You know I like the Flyers. I like my crazy socks and my ties, my way of bucking authority." He looked closer at her and realized this was not what she was asking. He took a deep breath and continued. "Okay" He sits back against the back of the couch, "I see things in myself that remind me of my father, the part of him I don't want to be like."

He faced the wall, but she could see from his profile his eyes were starting to water. She sat quietly and let him find the words to tell her in his way. He fidgeted and finally got up and started pacing back and forth as he told this story to her again. "You always told me I was not my father, but when I see this side of him coming out of me it scares me. I have to do better Bones. I have to prove I am a better man, because I never want Parker to see that side of me and I never … wanted you to see it, that is one memory I hope you don't get back. I couldn't protect my mom when I was little, but I can protect you, usually against your will, he chuckled, but I will always try to protect you." He lowered his eyes, he couldn't look at her, "I have done things to protect our country, I was given the order and I carried it out. I did my job. I did what I had to do; now I just have to make it right with God … and you."

"One time you compared me to a sniper I use to respect by the name of Broadsky, he turned vigilante and you said we were the same and Bones … that hurt. We are not the same, I followed orders, he made the call, I didn't make the call, I didn't choose, and I followed orders. He finally turned his heavy eyes to her. I have to be better for you and for Parker. The memories alone of his broken past exhausted him. "Anything else you want to know?"

She just shook her head. She had not expected this omission, but assumed that if he was telling her now, she must have known it before and was not going to push him for anymore than he already disclosed. She saw the toll it took on him to pour all that out of him.

She reached for his hand as she was standing up and led him to their room. As they climbed between the sheets and found the other, he clung to her while he poured out the pain of the memories he just relived for her. She held him, stroked his hair and softly reminded him he was a good man and it was okay to let his violent past go. She felt his grip loosen on her and his breathing even out, only then did she allow herself to fall asleep.

The next morning when he woke up he found her smiling triumphantly at him. "Bones, what are you smiling about?"

"I found out some small insignificant things about you last night."

"Oh and what were those?" he eyed her suspiciously.

"You like this side of the bed." She was pointing to the right side of the bed as she was standing facing it. "You prefer to sleep on your left side, unless I am in bed with you, then you prefer to sleep with both your arms around me, holding me tightly against you. You also snore."

"I do not snore."

"Are you sure Booth, because last night you snored?"

"One night does not mean I snore all the time."

"I didn't say you only snored last night." she countered.

"You just want to bicker."

"I was just stating my observations of you during your sleep. I can't help if you see that as bickering."

Booth stopped and stared at her for a moment. "That was sort of squinty speak, you almost sounded like your old self." He flashed her that grin that made her knees go weak. "So what else have you observed?"

"When you don't want to talk about something you fidget or you push yourself forcibly up if you are sitting and you pace."

He looked at her in disbelief "I do that?"

"Yes you do."

Thinking about it for a moment, she was right he would fidget to try to avoid the question and he would pace when he had no choice but to answer. "See, those are the little things that can't be explained. I couldn't have told you that, I didn't realize it myself."

She smiled, she knew something about him, he didn't know. That small amount of knowledge gave her more confidence than she had since she woke up with no memory.

"Pretty proud of yourself aren't you?" The look of his face was full of love as the smile that extended from his mouth to his eyes radiated nothing but respect for the woman standing facing him.

She slid between the sheets and lay face to face with him. Neither said a word. She took her fingers and lightly traced his face around his hair line, then traced the lines of his face as if processing them into her memory. While her fingers worked their way around his face, his eyes moved over hers, capturing the tiniest details. "I am sorry about last night," she began "I didn't expect what you …"

He put his fingers over her lips "Shhh, it is okay, I don't want to think about it anymore, Okay?" he kissed the tip of her nose. She simply nodded.

Slowly he moved his hand to her hip and then inching closer, he moved it across her lower back and pulled her to him, and then sliding his hand up her back to her neck, he supported her while he pushed her beneath him. He gently brought his lips to hers causing the world around them to fade. He moved his lips down her jaw line to her ear, placing lingering kisses behind her ear, while his hands sought out hers. Fingers clasp together, he raised her arms over her head and held them there while he continued his assault on her neck with his mouth. Slowly he raised his eyes up to meet hers, her eyes seemed dark bottomless blue pools of desire, his burned dark with the same desire. He released her hands, both of his hands moved to cup her face, he lowered his lips to hers again and this time they were teleported to another plane that only existed for them during this special moment, the moment they surrender completely to the other.

After a while they lay contently in each other arms Brennan realized while they were making love was when they were the most vulnerable to each other. They could feel everything the other feels, mostly the love, the pride, the physical need and release. But you could feel the pain, the sorrow, and the guilt also. She could feel it in the way he held her, the sorrow of something lost and he wasn't going to lose her. The guilt of not being able to protect his mother, but he could protect her. The pain he lived with from taking lives while he was a sniper and how working with her to catch murderers was evening the score.

She rolled her head back to look up at him. Her features softened as she looked at this man, the lines on his face almost vanished as he lay there purely relaxed. She realized then that she could not share this revelation with him; while to her it was a great gift, to him it would be opening up wounds he might not be ready to open up. She now fully understood what he meant by she knew things that could not be described; this was one of those things. She lowered her head against his chest, closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>They both woke up to the sound of Booth's phone ringing. "Booth"<p>

"Seeley, it is Camille. Just wanted you to know that we found several protected files on her computer and Angela is working on breaking the passwords on them, but it is a time consuming process. As soon as we find out anything, I will let you know."

"Thanks Cam." Booth started to hang up the phone when he heard Cam's voice yelling his name.

"What?"

"Angela wants to know if you need her to do any grocery shopping before she comes home."

"I am sure we are fine, we have enough food we could stay here for a year and never make a dent, but tell her thanks anyway."

"I will. How is Dr. Brennan holding up?"

"She is doing fine Cam," he rubbed his hand up and down her arm, I think she is tired of being more or less under house arrest, but who wouldn't be."

"Take care of yourselves and I will call you when I have something." She closed her phone ending the call. She blew out a long slow breath, time to catch this person.

She raised her head and watched his face as he laid the phone back on the night stand. He turned his head back and his brown eyes locked onto hers. "Hey" he grinned at her "You hungry." She nodded at him. "Come on lets go cook some lunch." He kissed her forehead before they got up.

As Booth was preparing lunch Brennan was sitting on a stool watching him over the counter. "Booth, have you ever thought about early retirement?"

He chuckled at her, "Where did that come from?"

"We know that I have a lot of money from the books that I wrote, not like we need to work. Was just wondering what you would think of this kind of life, being able to sleep in, do what you wanted when you wanted, without having to worry about working."

"Bones, I love it here with you, but I think I would miss working." He watched her trying to figure out where she was going with this. "What about you?" he asked.

She leveled her gaze at him, "You are really asking the woman suffering with amnesia that question?"

"Yes, I am, you have amnesia, you are not handicapped. You should be able to tell me if living this way would drive you nuts with boredom or if you think you might like it."

"You have a point, while I have found I enjoy being here with you I have found being confined is unpleasing. However, if I was able to come and go as I please, that could change."

"Of course … I am not opposed to being locked away with you at least once a year." He had his head down stirring a sauce and looked up at her through hooded eyes and gave her that Booth grin that melted her heart.

"Booth, when this is all over can you and I take a vacation somewhere, just you and me, all alone, no phones, no friends, just us."

"Sure Bones, I think we deserve that."

Booth handed her a plate of food and then dished him up some and moved to sit next to her at the counter. His phone rang "Booth"

"Hey Booth, can I talk to Bren please."

Booth held out the phone to Brennan, "Angela for you"

"Hello"

"Hey Sweetie I am breaking into your protected files and well are you where you can talk?"

"What do you mean talk?"

"Is Booth like right there?"

"Yes."

'Tonight when I get home you and I need to sit down alone, I have something you need to see and explain to me."

"Can't you tell me over the phone?"

"Oh no, this has to be done face to face. I will have Hodgins keep Booth occupied so we will have time to talk.

"You found something in one of those files?"

"Bren, I found something, but it doesn't have to do with this case in particular."

"Ange, what does it have to do with then and why is it so important that you can't mention it in front of Booth?"

"It is about Booth sweetie, I am sorry."


	15. Chapter 15

As Angela showed her the file she had gained access too, it was all about Booth, his child hood, his military experience, his life was spelled out from A to Z in this file.

What also was spelled out was that Booth was not who he claimed to be. Tears were rolling down Brennan's face. She was shaking her head. "This isn't right, this can't be …"

"Sweetie it is was a password protected file on your computer, the computer only you touch."

"Angela, you know the type of person I was, correct?"

"Well, yes."

"So then … if I knew all this stuff about Booth would I keep it to myself?"

"At first no I don't think you would have, but as the years moved on, yeah I think it would be possible for you to keep this a secret to protect Booth."

"Angela you all have known Booth for years, you know this can't be right."

"Sweetie it was found on your computer."

"I don't believe this, I don't remember, but there is no way I wrote this. Where is Booth? He needs to see this, he can explain this."

"Booth is up at the main house with Hodgins, but I don't think it is a good idea for you to show him …."

"He is not this person; I know he is not this person. I feel it."

"Sweetie, if he has been hiding this from you…"

Brennan narrowed her eyes on her friend. "Would you believe this about Hodgins?"

Angela opened and closed her mouth trying to find the words and in the end she lowered her head and stared into her lap, "No I wouldn't."

"Angela, he has killed, but not for satisfaction, not for some sick need. He has killed to protect others. Where ever this came from they are trying to put doubt in our minds. I won't doubt Booth, I won't … doubt him and I can't believe you and the others doubted him."

"Sweetie, we are just trying to protect you."

"From Booth? You claim to be his friend, yet you doubt him the first opportunity you get." She headed out the back slider of the guest house. "I need to find Booth."

* * *

><p>"Hodgins what is the matter with you, you are very nervous?" Booth laughs, "You act like I am going to shoot you or something?"<p>

"N-nothing is wrong, just had a long day and can't seem to hold still."

Booth studied him, "Jack this is me, I read people for a living and I live by my gut, which as of lately seems to be way off base, but you are lying to me."

Hodgins turned and faced Booth. This man had been a sort of friend for the last 5 years, while they didn't get along some of them; he always knew that Booth was a good man. "Look Booth, Angela found something on Dr. B's computer" he motioned towards the guest house, "that is what they are talking about."

"What are you getting at Hodgins?"

"It is about you. Booth what it says is not very flattering and it implies you are the one that set her up that night in her apartment."

The color drained from Booth's face, "Wha-What, and Angela is telling her that right now?" He was on his feet and looking at Hodgins in disbelief, "I can't believe you would believe …"

"It is on Dr. B's computer in a password protected file, why would we assume anything…"

Booth just shook his head "Then someone got to her computer, she wouldn't have any reason to think that stuff, much less write it down. Can't you see who ever this is, is trying destroy the trust Bones has for us, me in particular. For being a genius you suck."

Booth headed back for the guest house, not sure what he was going to encounter. He just had to protect her and keep her from running blinding into what seemed to be a pretty well laid trap.

All Brennan could think of was earlier that day lying in his arms and feeling everything she felt. He was not the man that was portrayed in the words on that computer screen. She would know she would feel it or would she? She shook her head, I won't doubt him, he is the one solid thing I have to hold on to and the one person I have a few memories of and they are all good.

"Bones" she stopped at his voice and looked up at him coming towards her. She raised her hands and wiped the tears off her face and resumed her path towards him, speeding up until she was running.

"Booth, I couldn't have …"

"Shhh, we will figure it out..."

Her eyes were searching his "Booth, what if I did … you know … write this stuff before?"

He was quiet for a few moments, but his eyes never left hers. When he finally did speak it was with confidence. "I don't think you did, whatever it is, you are not one to just write it down and lock it away, you would have confronted me with it from the start."

"Booth, I don't believe what it says."

"Let's go look at it and we will figure it out." He wrapped his arm around her, she leaned her head on his chest and her arms wrapped around his waist.

Angela and Hodgins had been watching from their prospective vantage points. They watched Brennan's faith and trust in Booth never wavering. Hodgins felt a twinge of guilt doubting Booth, but the government conspiracy theorist couldn't quite let go of the fact that part of what Angela found was true.

Angela didn't want to believe what she had found, but there were things that she felt only Brennan could know, so to dismiss the whole document was not something Angela was fully prepared to do. All she could do was be ever vigilante and watch for signs. She knew if she tried to force Brennan it would backfire and cause Brennan to push her away.

"Booth" Angela greeted him coolly

"Angela" he answered just as coolly "So where is this file on me?"

Brennan watched the exchange between the two of them. "Stop" They both turned and looked at her. "This is already hard enough without you two making it harder. Angela I know you are trying to protect me, but come on, this is Booth. He is the one person that has been beside me the whole time, him and I have talked about things that he didn't have to tell me all over again, things that took a toll on him to repeat." She turned and looked at Booth, "And you, you are the one that told me I could trust Angela and that you would never let me around anyone that you didn't trust me with. You have told me Angela is my friend and only wants what is best for me, yet you act this way towards her when she is doing what you said she does."

Booth looked at Angela, "Sorry Ange, I know you only have her best interest at heart."

Angela nodded, "And I should not doubt you Booth, you have been there through some pretty rough patches."

Brennan breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you both, I didn't want to have to make a choice. I need all of you, but I will chose Booth if you force me too."

"There will be no one choosing anyone Bones, everyone is just scared right now. But we are all professionals. Am I right, Angela?"

"You are right, we are here to help Bren and we will do that."

"Okay, let's see this document." Booth said as he turned the laptop towards him and looked at the words forming a story about him."

Hodgins slipped quietly into the room "Can you use one more to help?"

Angela smiled a sad smile and held out her hand to her husband. "Yeah, I think we would use one more."

"Booth man, you are right for a genius I suck. I should have – we all should have thought about someone trying to plant a seed of doubt and …"

"It is okay Jack; let's just catch this bastard."

Booth sat and read the document and shook his head. His whole life was sitting in front of him, all the horrible ugly things that he had to do defending his country was right there blow by blow. It sickened him to have to relive it, but it made him out to be a monster that enjoyed the kill. There were things in there that only Bones could have known, things he only told her, which would bring anyone else to the conclusion she wrote this.

Not his Bones, she wouldn't even at her angriest have written anything like this that could tear their friendship apart and destroy him as a person. She watched him while he read and saw the changes in his face as he was trying to digest it all. The pain of the memories flowed across his face and she felt them all. As he came to the end of the document, he slowly stood and excused himself. She watched him go and close the door to the room had shared a few hours earlier.

Never taking her eyes off the door "Angela can you leave a copy of this, I think we are done for today."

"Sure sweetie, Jack and I will be home if you need us." Angela ushered Jack out of the house.

Still watching the door, "Thank you Angela."

She tapped lightly on the door, "Booth, can I come in." all she got in return was silence. She slowly eased the door open "Booth" she said as she looked around the door her eyes moving around looking for him. He was sitting on the side of the bed just staring at the floor. "Booth" she walked across the room and sat down next to him.

She reached for his hand and he pulled it away "Bones, there is stuff there that only you know. Stuff I only told you, stuff I trusted you with."

"Then I wrote that horrible stuff about you. I wrote you are a monster, I wrote that you used your job as a license to kill. How could I have done that to you? How could you ..."

"I need some time and space Bones," his eyes never left he floor.

She started to reach for his shoulder and then thought better of it and just left him alone as he requested. Once back it the main part of the house she looked at the laptop sitting on the table and couldn't believe she could write something so hurtful about another person. _What kind of person was she? How could I be so cruel to the man I love? There was no way to make this up to him; this was the nail in the coffin of their relationship._

She held the tears at bay as she tried to write an apology. In the end all she could come up with was "I am sorry" So she left that note with the laptop and she quietly slipped out the door and off Hodgins property. She was going home, she didn't care who was after her now, and she couldn't face Booth anymore after the pain she caused him.

Booth came out of the room a couple of hours later, he noticed the house was empty and assumed she had went up to see Angela to give him some space. He headed into the kitchen to get some water and try to clear his mind.

He sat down at the counter, his mind still reeling over what he read. There had to be an explanation, he was having a hard time wrapping his mind around his Bones writing something like that even in anger. She would never ever betray him, but there was stuff in there that only she knew. _No, concentrate, she wouldn't do that, someone found out, somehow, she wouldn't betray you._

He stepped out on the patio and looked up at the main house. He thought about going and getting her but changed his mind. She probably needed the time to think after she realized there was a real possibility she wrote those words. They could talk when she got back. He stretched out on a lounge chair to wait and soon was in a fitful sleep.

She was out of his reach; he was slinging verbal accusations at her. She was floating in a circle around him saying she didn't do it, but he didn't listen he just kept verbally attacking her because he couldn't physical shake her. She was crying and begging him to believe her, she didn't do it. She would never hurt him that way.

Booth sat straight up on the lounge tiny beads of sweat on his forehead; his breathing was labored as he tried to calm himself. He looked at the main house and all the lights were off. He got up and checked their room. He took a deep breath when he saw it was empty. She was probably at the main house and he had told her he needed time and space. He crawled into bed; he would talk to her in the morning.

Brennan looked at the door to her apartment and immediately didn't want to be there. She stood there for a few minutes before she decided she needed to be near him. Even if only briefly, she would go to his apartment. She would decide tomorrow what she needed to do, but for tonight she could be surrounded by his things.

She stopped and picked up some groceries and then took a cab to his place. She used the hidden key and let herself in. She turned on the hall light and then moved into the kitchen to put away what she had bought. As long as she was careful she would be safe here and give her time to examine her next move. She walked back to this bedroom and lay on the bed. She could smell his scent on the pillows and the linens and it was comforting. She closed her eyes and soon was asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Brennan woke up the next morning and looked around; it took a few minutes for her to realize where she was. Sadness started to consume her again, the realization that some of what was written he told her in confidence; it had to be her, or the other her that wrote it. _What kind of heartless person was I?_

She had bought enough food to last her a week, so there was no need for her to leave his apartment. She dragged herself out of bed and took a shower. She found some of his sweats and put them on along with one of his button up shirts. She rolled up the sleeves and then went in search of a book to read. She found several books apparently written by her. She selected "Deja Dead" to read; she moved to the couch and settled in. Before opening the book she stared at the cover and her name. _It was so very strange to look at this book with your name attached as the author and to not remember writing it._

Booth didn't sleep well and was sitting in a lounge outside waiting for Brennan to come back from the main house. Angela and Hodgins would have been at work an hour ago and Booth thought she would come home by now. He realized she was giving him the time and space he asked for, but he really wished she come home.

His cell began to ring and he ran into the house hoping it was her. The caller ID said it was Angela; maybe she had a message for him. "Booth"

"Booth, Can I talk to Bren?"

"Angela she … isn't here. I-I thought she came up to your place last night when I asked for space."

"She hasn't been there all night and you didn't go looking for her?"

"I assumed she came to your place, where the hell else would she go?"

"Booth, how … we have to find …"

"I know I know … so she has been gone at least 12 hours. I am going to try to call her first; I will call you back if I get a hold of her."

Booth pushed the familiar speed dial button and headed for the bedroom to get dressed. His heart hit his shoes when, on the bedside table, her phone started to ring. He slowly pushed the end button on his phone as he walked over and picked hers up.

He went back out to the main part of the house; her purse was missing from where she kept it, which means she most likely left on her own. Booth pushed the speed dial button making a call he dreaded to make. "Angela"

"She doesn't have her phone Angela. I just tried to call it and it was on the bedside table where she left it. But she does have her purse; she doesn't have any cash so she would have to use a credit card to buy anything. I need you to have Cam get a hold of Hacker to put a trace on the cards, I am going to go out and start looking."

"Where are you starting?"

"Her place, she doesn't have many places she would go." He hung up and sat down on the bed and rubbed his face with his hands. He had to find her before something happened to her.

* * *

><p>Brennan sat back and closed the book. She stared at the opposite wall. The writing in this book and what was in that document off her computer were not the same style. Booth was right and someone had gotten to her computer and she had been set up. Someone was desperately trying to break her trust in Booth.<p>

She got up and checked her purse and her coat for her phone and realized she didn't have it with her, then she remember she had left it in their room back at the guest house. She needed to tell him what she found, she needed to show Angela. She ran into his room to start looking for something to wear, then she remember Booth telling her she had a bag, a stake out bag he called it. She went to the front closet and there it was, and inside were personal items of hers along with a change of clothes.

As she dressed she remember Booth telling her that she had compared him to a sniper that went bad at one time and how it hurt him. Still doubting herself she sat on the bed and put her face in her hands, _oh god is that what I really thought about him, did I really write that. Did I see him as the killer that was described in the writing, a Jekyll and Hyde personality? _She shook her head, no, no she wouldn't have written that stuff, not about him, not Booth. She found the emergency cash Booth kept in the jar. She could pay him back later.

Booth had arrived at her apartment and used his key to let him in. He searched room to room, even though it was evident when he opened the door that no one had been there in a while. He locked her door back up and headed for the only other place she could be and that would be his place.

The cab had pulled away moments before Booth pulled up. If she would have just looked out the side window when the cab turned the corner she would have seen the familiar SUV pulling up in front of his building. He ran up the stairs rather than waiting for the old elevator, he barely stopped long enough to open his front door. "Bones" he yelled as he came through the door, and he was answered with silence. He again checked room to room for her. When he got to the bathroom he felt a towel still damp, she had been here, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He called Angela and let her know that Bones had been at his place and by the signs of food in the refrigerator she probably would be back. "Booth, where would this Brennan go?"

"Angela I don't know, unless she is on her way there or back to the guest house."

"How would she get there?"

"Angela you are a genius. She had to take a cab; I am calling the cab company right now and seeing what I can come up with."

The cab company was not as cooperative as Booth had hoped, they had their procedures and while their procedures worked for the company, and that did not work for Booth. Finally he got a supervisor on the phone and explained to them the circumstances. The supervisor said they would call back the FBI and confirm who he was and then he would be able to provide the information to him. Booth thanked him and then waited.

He drove back towards Brennan's incase she headed there when the phone rang and he got his answer. The cab company had picked her up at his place and had dropped her off at Hodgins estate.

Brennan went to get out of the cab and an idea struck her. What if whoever wrote that stuff had found out intimate details of them by bugging their apartments and offices. "Can I get you to take me to the Jeffersonian Institute instead please?"

Booth was so focused on finding Brennan he never noticed that the cab that just passed him had a passenger and cabs rarely appeared on these street to pick up anyone. He nervously tapped the steering wheel while he waited for the gate to the estate to open, then he headed for the guest house.

He practically ran through the front door. "Bones, Bones, Where are you Bones?" He was again met by silence. There wasn't any sign that she had even been there.

"Angela"

"She isn't here, Angela I don't know where to look now. The cab company said they dropped her off here and she is not here."

"Booth"

"What if someone got her and I can't find her?"

"Booth"

"What if she is running from me, you know she has run in the past because of me."

"BOOTH!"

"WHAT!"

"She just walked in the doors and headed straight for her office."

"Don't let her leave, I am on my way." He ended the call and ran out the front door.

Angela entered Brennan's office and watched in confusion as her friend was standing in the middle of her office slowly turning in a circle looking around.

"Bren are you okay?"

"Yes, Angela I am fine."

"If you are okay, why are you standing in the middle of your office turning a painfully slow circle?"

"Shhh."

"Bren now you are worrying me."

Brennan stopped and grabbed Angela's wrist and headed for the nearest exit. "Bren have you lost your mind?"

"Shhh, just trust me."

When they got out into the gardens and at what Brennan felt was a safe distance from the building she turned to Angela, "Sit down Ange"

Angela watched her friend with concern, she believe that all the stress was causing her to start having paranoid delusions. "Bren what is going on, you are really scaring me."

"I was reading one of the books I wrote and the writing style is not the same as on the document. If I wrote both of them the writing styles should be the same or at least resemble each other."

"So then you didn't write that stuff."

"I don't know, but looking at the writing styles I would say no."

"Sweetie that is a good thing right?"

"Yes and No, if I didn't write it then how did they find out personal information that Booth only told me?"

"Oh"

"I am only guessing that Booth would not confide in me in a public place, so it had to be our offices or our apartments."

"You think someone bugged your offices and apartments."

Brennan nodded, "It is logical"

"Bren, Charlie and Styers are dead, so if they bugged your office, then it is all over."

"But why did they bug my office? It doesn't make sense for them to do it without someone behind them pulling the strings. Angela what was the date that document was created?"

"Sweetie I never looked."

"Let's look now?"

As they came back in Hacker greeted them. He was coming out of Brennan's office. "Temperance, thank God you are okay. Booth was on his way here and got sidetracked and wanted me to come get you and take you to his office."

"Booth called you?"

"Yes, he said you forgot to take your phone and he had no way to contact you, so to have me come get you."

"Oh, Well I suppose that would be fine."

"No … Sorry Hacker, but No." Angela interjected. "Brennan is not leaving here until Booth comes to get her. This is nothing personal, but right now we are not sure who to trust and Booth could have called me to get a message to Bren."

"Ms. Montenegro, I understand your concern and I want to assure you that Temperance's well being is of the upmost concern to me."

"Angela, I am sure the Deputy Director would not be coming out here to escort me to Booth office, unless Booth had authorized it."

"Okay fine then." Angela turned to Hacker "You won't mind me calling Booth will you. She hit the speed dial and put the phone to her ear."

Angela never took her eyes off Hacker and he was getting edgy.

"Booth"

"Hey Booth, Hacker is here …"

"Hang up the phone Ms. Montenegro." Hacker said as he poked the barrel of his gun into Brennan's ribs.

Angela pushed a button, but not the 'end' button. "Okay, Okay, it is hung up. Don't hurt her."

"Slide it across the floor to Dr. Brennan's feet. Temperance you will pick it up and then you and I will walk out of here like nothing is wrong." Brennan's eyes on Angela, she nodded her understanding.

After she had the phone they left towards the exit that would take them out through the gardens, which left little to no cover for anyone to follow. Brennan tried to keep their pace controlled, but Hacker kept pushing her along.

Booth could do nothing but listen to his Bones being forcibly taken from the Jeffersonian. He pushed the SUV to its limits trying to get to her while the anger in him was passing the boiling point.

"Why Mr. Hacker"

"Get in" Hacker shoved her into the passenger side of his vehicle. "Move over you are driving." He poked the gun into her ribs.

"Ouch, I am trying; maneuvering over a center column and around a steering wheel in a Chevrolet Volt is not easy Andrew."

Booth smiled slightly, _"That's my girl; give me as much as you can."_

Booth could hear the car start up and muffled sounds as she adjusted herself in the seat. "Mr. Hacker you never told me why?"

"Temperance enough with the questions, just drive." Hacker's annoyance was obvious.

"If you are going to kill my anyway, what does it matter if you tell me why or where we are going, you will still have your secret since I will be dead."

"Turn right at the next light." Booth heard as he ran into the lab and into Angela's office.

"Where is she?"

"Booth as long as my phone is connected to yours I can track her," she pointed at the screen. He nodded and headed out her door, putting his phone on mute he yelled for Hodgins. Booth confiscated Jack's phone and headed out the door and hopefully to intercept Brennan and Hacker.

He tossed his phone on the passenger seat and listened and had Angela on the other phone. Angela gave him turn by turn, but Booth was stuck in afternoon traffic. He couldn't use his siren as it might spook Hacker and cause to kill Brennan. So all he could do was try to wind through the side street and listen for Brennan to give him any clues.

"You want to know why?" Hacker looked at her "You are too good for him. You are a brilliant scientist and what is he? He is nothing more than a common laborer. He isn't fit enough to shine your shoes."

"So you decided to have me killed?"

"That wasn't suppose to happen, you were not suppose to be hurt that bad. You were suppose to believe that he was the one that caused you to be hurt. When I found out you had amnesia, I thought it would be a new beginning, but again you turned to him. You soiled yourself with him." He had a look of disgust on his face.

"Andrew" her voice was soft, "He was there when I woke up, why did you not come tell me of your feelings, remind me what I was to you? Did you not trust me enough to see who the clear choice would be?" He gazed at her, hope momentarily showing in his eyes before he got angry again. She saw the change, "Andrew, I had no one to tell me anything about me, but him. So he told me what he wanted and he wanted me."

Booth chuckled a little, "Booth are you okay?" Angela asked with a worried tone to her voice.

"I am fine Angela, I am just proud of Bones, she is keeping him calm."

"He lied to you Temperance; he is trying to better his station in life. He was born to a loser and he will always be a loser. He hid behind the military and the FBI to murder legally, citing duty as his defense. He doesn't love you, not the way I love you, not the way you deserve to be loved." Booth jaw twitched as he breathed deeply in and out to control the rage inside himself.

"So where are we going?" The phone began to cut in and out, either the buildings Booth was trying to get away from or a tunnel was causing the signals between the phones to cut out.

"Booth" It was Angela's voice in his ear. "They are heading towards Andrews Naval Facility. He had her drive in a circle."

"What is causing the signal to weaken?"

"Booth, it could be the buildings, change in cell towers, anything really."

"Damn, Okay I am trying to get turned around."

"Booth, we have put their description out to local police and the fact they are in a Chevy Volt."

"Angela they can't contact them, he might kill her."

"Booth they know that, they know to just observe and let us know. The Chevy Volt is not that popular of a car yet, so it isn't like there is one on every street corner. We will find her."

"Thanks Ange."


	17. Chapter 17

As Booth cleared the heavier traffic he was able to pick up his pace. He still had some distance to make up for when the unthinkable happened. Booth's phone beeped when the connection between his phone and Angela's was severed.

"Angela the call disconnected."

"Booth, my phone didn't have a full charge, the battery might have died or lost a signal."

Booth was finding it hard to breathe, his heart was feeling heavy. "Where is the last location you got from the phone?"

"Suitland Parkway near Branch Avenue"

"Ange I need you to call Sully, he is the only one I trust right now. I need you to have him find out anything about Hacker, maybe some property he or his family has out here. Anything he can find that might give me an idea where to go. Call me with anything."

"Booth we will find her."

"Yeah" he hung up the phone.

Booth pulled over on the overpass over I-95 near Andrews and stared north and south at the freeway traffic. He just sat there, not sure which direction to go, scared to move that he might pick the wrong direction and would put more distance between them, but afraid of not moving for the same reason.

His phone rang, "Booth"

"Booth there is a trooper following a volt on Hwy 4 eastbound approaching Dower house Rd., female driver, male passenger. Trooper hasn't been able to get a good look as of yet. Cam is on the phone with them, stay with me." Booth floored the SUV as he headed towards Hwy 4.

There was silence on the line for several minutes. "Ange I am turning onto Hwy 4, where are they?"

"Just passed Woodyard Rd. Trooper is going to pass them and see if he can get a good look at the occupants." It was only 30 seconds before Angela spoke again, but it felt like hours. "It's not them Booth."

"Are they sure?"

"Booth, they are sure." Booth clicked the end button and hit the steering wheel several times. He pulled to the side of the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tight, his knuckles where white.

Andrew was getting nervous when he saw police units. "Temperance that boyfriend of yours better not be looking for us or he might not find a very pleasing sight."

Get him mind off the police Brennan thought. "Andrew, you said I soiled myself with him, is there a way to cleanse myself and make myself pure again. Pure enough that you might consider me acceptable for someone like you?"

Andrew looked at her with a mixture of intrigue and confusion. "You would cleanse yourself of him to reclaim your station in life and possibly at my side. I am not promising that I would take you to my bed even after you were cleansed, but I could consider it, if it is something you really want."

At least she had his mind off the police cars and had calmed down while he considered her offer. "Andrew the amnesia left me only knowing what I was told and as you can imagine Booth kept me in places with people he trusted to tell me what he wanted them to tell me. I had no way to know it wasn't true. This is what I want; please help me cleanse myself." Brennan almost choked on the words coming out of her mouth, but she had to keep him calm and give Booth time to find her.

"Turn into this driveway up here." He directed her, his voice was softer more gentle than it had been. She slowed as she turned on the signal and came to a stop as she allowed a car to pass in the other direction. The woman in the car, stared at her as she drove by, Brennan stared back at the woman until she was clear to turn into the drive. There was an old dilapidated barn on her left as she turned onto the dirt drive. She followed a quarter of a mile back to the house. The drive did a horseshoe shape turn, she drove past 2 barns maneuvering through the turn and arrive at a new style farm house surrounded by trees. She stopped the car and turned it off.

"Welcome to you new home for the time being Temperance."

* * *

><p>Brennan had been missing for 24 hours. They had nothing to go on, no direction past the last cell phone ping. Booth was sitting on the couch in her office. He couldn't go home or to the guest house, so he sat in the only place he could think of to be close to her.<p>

Sully watched him and as much as he hated to interrupt he needed Booth to get his head back in the game. "Booth"

"Yeah"

"Here is the press release they want to put out on Tempe." He handed the paper to Booth "You know they are going to want to pull you from this case, you are too close."

"I can work this case; she was … is my responsibility." He stood coming face to face with Sully. "If they do force me off it, promise me you will be the lead and you will keep me in the loop."

"You got it, now press release." Booth turned his attention back to the press release and started shaking his head. They can't release the vehicle; Hacker doesn't know we know about the Volt. If he finds out we do, then he will think she contacted us somehow and he could hurt her. And … he won't change vehicles if we don't force him to. So no, we can't release the type of vehicle."

Sally McClure sat in her recliner, laptop in her lap playing solitaire when the news announced a breaking story. She looked up at the TV and stared at the picture of the woman she locked eyes with the day before while she was driving down the road.

_**Dr. Temperance Brennan, renowned forensic anthropologist has been reported missing. Dr. Brennan was last seen leaving the Jeffersonian Institute yesterday afternoon with Assistant Director Andrew Hacker of the FBI. There is a possibility that they have been kidnapped. If anyone has any information on the where abouts of Dr. Brennan or Mr. Hacker please contact the FBI office at (202) 555-3422, ext 3420. **_

Sally grabbed a pen and wrote down the number. She pulled out her cell phone and called. Her call got forwarded to Booth's cell.

"Agent Booth"

"Agent Booth, My name is Sally McClure, I saw Dr. Brennan yesterday on Hwy 223, just off Hwy 4. I don't know the address, but it is near an old barn."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I am sure."

"Tell me what you saw."

"She was driving a green Chevy Volt, you know one of those new electric cars. Male in the passenger seat, he looked to be in 40's, dark curly hair. I didn't look too much at him, but her, she just stared at me."

"Can you show me where this is at?"

"Yeah, but you need to know there are two houses on the property. And neighbors out here are tight; you are going to stand out like a sore thumb. So before you give yourself away you need a plan. Meet me at the sheriff's department."

"Ms. McClure, I will be calling the shots."

"Agent Booth, I am not Joe Blow citizen, I know if the FBI is involved she is in danger, if you want her back alive, you might consider listening to me. Meet me at the sheriff's office tomorrow." Sally disconnected the call.

She needed to get a look at this place before she was to meet with Agent Booth. She went into her room and opened the chest at the foot of her bed. Memories flooded her mind, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, not now, I will think about it later. She blew the air out of her lungs very slowly, opened her eyes and collected what she needed out of the chest.

"Sully"

"Just got a call from a Sally McClure claims he saw Bones with a man and she said they were in a Green Volt."

"Where"

"She said she can show me, suppose to meet her at the Sheriffs department tomorrow."

"Booth how do you know it isn't a set up?"

"I don't, but I have to go."

"Fine, I am going with you."

"Thanks Sully."

* * *

><p>Hacker saw the news. He was angry; he flew through the house in a rage. "They are looking for us." he snarled.<p>

"What?" Brennan shrank back away from him.

"They are looking for you and me. That Booth is a catty one; he said we might have been kidnapped." He pulled her into the living room and shoved her into a rocking chair, "watch." She watched the news story on herself and Hackers. "He has made it so not even I can leave this house."

"Andrew" He back handed her across the face causing her to stumble across the room. "Andrew, it doesn't matter, we are together, just call him and tell him we are happy and I am not missing." He stared at her, not sure if he should trust her or not.

"You do it; you tell him you don't love him. Tell him to leave you alone."

"O-Okay" Hacker dialed Booth's number and held the phone to her ear

Booth looked at the phone for a couple of rings when he saw the name on the Caller ID, he grabbed Hodgins phone and activated the tracker.

"Booth"

"Booth"

"Bones? Where are you?"

"Booth listen to me" she looked sideways at Hacker

"I am not missing; I went with Andrew on my own."

"Bones, what are you saying?"

"I don't love you Booth, Andrew makes me happy." Hacker hung up the phone.

Booth looked at the phone and then opened up the application on Hodgins phone to get the coordinates for the cell tower.

Hacker smiled at her, "Soon Temperance the cleansing." He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him. She stiffened in his embrace, but she had to keep him calm. She silently prayed that Booth got the GPS off the cell phone to find her.

The application was not able to trace Hackers phone. He called Angela to find out why?

"It failed Angela."

"Booth?"

"The tracker failed, it didn't give me a tower for Hackers phone."

"Booth, what are you talking about."

Booth was pacing Brennan's office. "Bones called on Hackers phone and it did what I was suppose to do, activating the track and it failed."

"Booth, he might have the tracker off, but that doesn't mean that is the only way to find him. I am on my way in to my office, meet me there."

"I am here in Bones' office."

"You are in … What … never mind, I will talk to you when I get there."

He called Sully and got Sully to come into the Jeffersonian, he wasn't waiting until the next day; he was going to find Sally McClure and start tonight.

Okay he has the location indicator off on his phone, so it doesn't readily send give you the information you need. "Booth I need some of your and/or Sully's FBI pull."

"What do you need?" Sully asked

"Contact the FBI's cell carrier and get them to ping his phone. It should give us a general location."

Once that was done, it put them in the area that the trooper had seen a volt the on Hwy 4. Booth had Angela call the sheriff and Sally McClure to meet them at the Sheriff's Department. They rode in silence because there wasn't much to say, not until they were able to talk to the Sheriff and their witness.


	18. Chapter 18

The Sheriff was outside waiting for Booth and Sully when they arrived. "Evenin' I am Sheriff Jim Daniels." He held out his hand first to Booth and then Sully. "Mind telling me what is so important that I was drug away from my family?" As they headed into the building the sound of a car caused them all to turn to look at the red convertible pulling in.

Sheriff's eyes got wide as Sally stepped out of this convertible dressed in her old gear. "Sally?"

"Jim"

"What are you doing here?"

"Helping them." She said as she walked past him into the building.

Booth and Sully both caught the look the sheriff gave this woman, their witness and they turned and looked at each other, the same question in their mind. "Why did the Sheriff get so worried when he saw her?"

Once they were all in the briefing room, Booth and Sully started to fill in the sheriff and Sally. Sally listened while she pulled up aerial footage of the property where she had seen Brennan the earlier. She was studying the picture, the date was recent so the foliage was probably pretty accurate, she took deep breaths as the memories started to flow. She felt a hand on her arm as the memories threatened to overtake her, "Are you sure you can do this?" She looked up into the Sheriff's eyes, her own filling with tears. She took a deep breath and nodded, then turned back to the picture in front of her.

Booth and Sully had watched the exchange and when the Sheriff exited the briefing room to the hallway they followed. Sully spoke first, "What is the deal with her?"

"I'm sorry?" The sheriff turned and looked at both men.

"We didn't miss the looks or the concern. This is his partner life, if there is something in her" he pointed towards the room "past, then I think you better start sharing."

The sheriff looked at both men but the voice behind them started them both. "What is Sally doing here Sheriff?" asked a younger deputy

"Kirk she is helping these two. Agent Booth and Agent Sullivan from the FBI, this is Deputy Sanders." Kirk was a cocky wanna be that was easily read by both Booth and Sully. Neither was impressed.

Kirk started snickering, "Well I hope it isn't anything serious or she will have a meltdown. Girls don't belong in the field, they aren't built for it."

"At least I didn't run away with my tail between my legs, while my partner and coworker got shot into little pieces." She stood behind Sanders, hands on her slender hips and a look in her eye challenging him to just give her a reason.

"Someone better start talking? I don't want to go in there just to have my ass handed to me because someone had a melt down."

"Agent Booth, 5 years ago on that same property, we went after part of a drug ring, things went bad and my partner and Sanders partner were gunned down, they were almost cut in little pieces by so much gun fire. They were shooting at us with fully automatic weapons. He left us there to die and ran."

"I was maneuvering for a better shot."

"You lying son of a ….." She lunged for him and was caught by the sheriff.

"Sanders, get out" The sheriff yelled. "Sally get back in there and make a plan. Agent Booth, Agent Sullivan, my office please."

As they got into the Sheriffs office Booth leaned over his desk, "Talk fast because I don't need any problems out there."

"This happened 5 years ago, Sally left the force due to stress. We don't know what happened out there, it came down to a he said, she said. But if I had to put my life in one of their hands, it would be hers."

"Will she fall apart out there?"

"I wish I could say no, but what I saw when it was all over and done with was nothing short of a war zone. She went through hell that night."

"Yes, I did go through hell and I came out the other end. I will leave it up to you, but I know the people, they know me and I can get places you can't." She turned and walked away.

"Now that is just creepy" Sully said, "Booth you are an ex sniper, how is she so quiet you can't hear her."

"I don't know" Booth shook his head. Booth stared at the empty doorway where Sally had stood moments before.

* * *

><p>Booth and Sully went back to the briefing room to talk to Sally. "So what do you have?"<p>

"Look I don't plan on playing G.I. Jane. My job is to get you where you need to be and part of that is making sure the locals don't talk. People out here tend to stick together, that is what happened before. The locals didn't realize the nice young couple that lived on that property were part of a vicious Columbia drug ring. They warned them we were coming."

"Why wouldn't they warn them now?"

"Because I am a local now, they trust me now." She points at the aerial shot, here is the property, there are 2 houses, the larger main house and then this smaller one almost obscured by the trees that sits between these two other buildings, this one I think is a shop and this one appears to be a barn. Do we know which house they are in?"

"No we don't." Booth answered

"Okay then I need to take a drive out there and see what I can find out."

"One of us will go with you."

"Did you not hear a word I said? They see you even with me and they will start talking. Whether you like it or not you have to trust me. If you don't I will go home, I am not walking into a set up again."

"We will go with your plan." Sully said as he looked at Booth. When Sally looked up at him he nodded.

Mary Joe and John live in the smaller house. They take care of the property for free rent and a little spending money. As far as I know no one has lived in the main house since that night. If they are in the main house then I can get Mary Joe and John out so they won't give us away and we can come in from the backside and use their house for surveillance."

"What about these neighbors?"

"Once we know for sure which house your partner and Hacker are in, then I will know what to do about the neighbors. If they are in the main house, we will go in under the cover of darkness and the other neighbors won't be the wiser. I am going to go out there and take a look around." She grabbed her keys then turned around. "Please don't talk about what we are going to do tonight to anyone outside of the Sheriff himself and only then if you absolutely have to."

"I am not sure I like you making demands." Booth challenged her

"I wouldn't like it either, but then again I don't trust a whole lot of people. The Sheriff will have the information he needs before we take off."

"Booth, that woman scares me. I don't know what it is, but there is something off about her."

"I know and I think the good sheriff needs to tell us the whole story."

Booth walked into the Sheriff's office. "What can I do for you Agent Booth?"

"Tell me about McClure."

"What do you want to know?"

"What is wrong with her, something isn't right."

"Agent Booth, she was one hell of an instinctual cop. Girl had a nose from crime; she could look at a car or a person and just know. She knew when those people moved into that house that they were up to no good. She put her nose to the grind stone and it took her a year and a half, but she built an air tight case. Everything was going as planned until they went in there to make the bust and those bastards were waiting for them. She barely survived. They had to put her in a drug induced coma so she could heal. She would remember or have a dream and go hysterical."

"So the neighbors tipped them off?"

"Is that what she told you? She doesn't believe that, she thinks Kirk did, maybe not on purpose, he tends to like to play up his importance with the ladies and he might have said something. Since that night she stopped trusting anyone. If you earn her trust you must be one hell of a person. Agent Booth, whatever she is planning, go with it, she knows what she is doing."

"Don't know if I feel any better, but thank you Sheriff."

When Sally returned, she greeted Booth and Sully and went back to her aerial shot.

"Well?"

"This foliage here is gone, so that takes away from of our camouflage. They are in the main house and it has motion detector lights that activate at 5 feet all around the house." She never took her eyes off the aerial shot, she just stared at it. "Mary Joe and John are out of the way, we can use their place."

_Sam-56 to Dispatch, we need to abort, we've been made _

_ Sam-56 to Sam-58, Sanders abort abort abort. _

_ Sam-56 to Sam-58, abort now_

_ Sam-56 to dispatch taking fire can't raise Sam-58 on the radio. Sam-49 and 30 are down. _

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She tightened her lips and slowly rocked back and forth. Booth and Sully watched her. "The bastard had his radio off when I called to him to abort, he had his fucking radio off, the same radio we had just done a radio check on 15 minutes before and you don't leave a man behind, so we didn't. After the shooting stopped he ran to me, looked at me, turned on his radio, and left me there to die."

She swallowed hard, stopped rocking, took a deep breath of air and slowly blew it out. She turned and looked at Booth, "you understand about not leaving a man behind, don't you? If not for him there wouldn't be two dead cops, you don't leave a man behind. You wanted to know what is wrong with me, there is your answer."

* * *

><p>Collecting herself, "Not much more we can't do out there. Let's get going, we need to walk in so we aren't detected and I would prefer to work up a plan there not here. Give me the keys to your rig." Booth stopped and looked at her. "I am giving them to the sheriff so he can move it, so there are no questions about the government rig."<p>

Booth fisted his keys, "You try anything, that can jeopardize this and I will kill you."

"I am glad we are on the same page, Agent." She never broke eye contact with him, holding his cold stare with an equally cold stare of her own, as she reached for his keys.

Once they were settled in the house they used minimal light, opting for night vision goggles instead, they didn't want to draw suspicion by changing the routine that Mary Joe and John normally followed.

"I am going to leave before day break; we need to get a look, at the inside of that place." Booth narrowed his eyes at her. "I am going to start up near Hwy 223 and work my way down as an electric company employee. I will see if I can get into the house to check for possible problems from the electrical flux we had the other night."

"I thought you said everyone knew you here, you were a local." Sully fired at her

She partially turned her head and then looked at Sully out the corner of her eye. The look she gave him showed she was irritated. "I will agree that is a valid question. Again you have to trust me."

"Why are you going to this much trouble?"

"Do you know what is inside that house? Do you know if he has anything booby trapped? Are you sure the doors aren't reinforced? This is an FBI agent you are up against. You both are agents, what would you do?" She pointed at Booth, "You are an ex army ranger, what would you do?"

"She's right Booth, Hacker might be an idiot, but if we under estimate him, he could kill her." Booth nodded. When Booth and Sully turned around Sally as gone, they never heard her leave and when they looked out into the night, all they saw was black.


	19. Chapter 19

As morning approached Booth finally was able to get a good look around the well tended main house, small yard, but well manicured, large trees to provide shade and help keep the house cool in the hot summer. As he was watching, she appeared in the kitchen window, she stared out the back window while she drank a glass of water, her face looking distant and sad. "Not long now Bones, not long." Sully came and stood beside him as he watched her. When she left the window, Sully patted him on the shoulder.

It was a couple of hours before they saw an electric company van pull in and a medium built worker step out. Sully cock his head to the side and looked, "No it couldn't be. Booth get over here."

The employee got out of the van, adjusted his pants and headed up to the door. Hacker was there before he could get there. "Can I help you?" Hacker asked looking around suspiciously.

"Sorry there sir, didn' mean to spook ya none, but we had one of them electrical fluxes the other night and a couple of houses had some damage to wiring. I'd be happy to check around if you don't mind. Would hate to see a place this nice catch fire."

"So why did you come here." Hacker stared intently at the man

"Sir I've been checkin' the houses on this road and I noticed the main wire that leads to your place and that one back yonder was unraveling, which could cause you to get an arch through your house wiring. Not something you would notice, but it could be trouble if left unchecked."

"Fine just hurry." He allowed the electrical worker in. "Hi ya ma'am" the comment was directed at Brennan. Brennan just nodded.

"Temperance, wait in the kitchen, I will join you shortly."

Kitchen was the last room to be checked and the worker got ready to leave. "Sir one last thing are you neighbors home, would like to check their house also while I am here. If not I can make a point to come back later."

"They left to go visit some relatives. But I have a key you can go check it out and return the key on your way out."

"Thank you kindly sir." The worker took the key and then turned to Brennan. Ma'am I just want to say, you are about the most beautiful woman I have seen in a long time." He smiled at Hacker, "You are one lucky man." He picked up Brennan's hand and kissed her finger tips, she felt something between their hands. When he was done kissing it he patted it lightly, smiled at her and walked away with Hacker following close behind to lock the door as the man left. While Hacker followed, Brennan slipped the folded paper into her pocket.

Hacker was irritated, he grabbed Brennan's wrist and dragged her into the kitchen, "Wash that hand now." He ordered her. "As soon as he is gone we will start the cleansing."

The worker headed for the smaller house on the property and Booth and Sully did their best to find somewhere to hide. They went silent as the key turned in the door and the door opened. They heard the door shut, "You guys hiding in the closets?"

Booth stepped out; "Sally" Sully stepped out and looked at the person in front of him.

"Recognize me Agent Sullivan?" Sully's mouth fell open as he looked at Sally McClure, even up close he didn't recognize her, nothing about her features gave away who she really was.

"I have some pictures of the inside, each door has like 4 or 5 locks on it and one bedroom upstairs, the one that faces the front of the house on the north side has locks on the outside. My guess would be that is her room. Also in the upstairs bathroom, would be this center back window has several bottles of bleach and a stiff bristled scrubbing brush with a long handle."

"What is so unusual about he bleach and cleaning brush?"

"Several bottles of bleach. And the brush is something you would use on a horse, but there isn't a horse on this property. I have a bad feeling."

"I need to get moving out of here, I will be back in a little while. The neighbors to the back are gone and I can slip back in without being seen. We can make a plan, but we need to get her out of there tonight." She turned to go, "by the way I disabled the motion lights."

Bones told Hacker she needed to use the bathroom and she was allowed to use the half bath downstairs that didn't have a window. She quietly pulled the paper out of her pocket and unfolded it. It only said "Agent Booth and Agent Sullivan are near." She closed her eyes and had to fight to not start crying in relief. She tore up the note and flushed it down the toilet and then washed her hands so Hacker would not be suspicious.

When she came out of the bathroom Hacker was there, "It is time Temperance."

"May I get a drink first?"

"Absolutely" he smiled at her. She walked into the kitchen took down a glass and slowly drank some water, she didn't know what he was going to do to 'cleanse' her, but she knew she needed to be strong.

Sally had arrived back at the house with the pictures she managed to take from a small camera attached as a button to her shirt. She studied each picture along with a rough diagram of the house. "Our best bet it going through the second story if we can find away up there. None of the windows appear to be locked. All the window's and doors on the lower level are double and tripled locked."

She watched the two FBI agents studying the makeshift board that they set up. "Agent Booth" Booth looked over at her. "I managed to get her a note; she knows you two are near."

"Thank you" he had been concerned since she had been taken that this Bones would not be able to hold up under whatever Hacker was putting her through. But, her knowing he was near and was coming for her might give her the strength she needed.

"Can't we just raise a ladder to her room and get her that way?"

Sally shook her head, "window is nailed shut. The bathroom window was open when I was in the house and I didn't notice any locking device on it. With the weather I am assuming they will leave it open. There are ladders in this storage barn," she motioned with her head to the right.

"I would prefer to get Hacker first so that we aren't racing to see who can get to Bones first. And his room is the closest to this bathroom, so that will work for me." Booth looked at the board and nodded his head.

* * *

><p>The three continued to stare at the board making sure they didn't miss a step, when they heard something. All three looked at each other and it happened again, it was not a scream, but a grunt, as if in pain. Booth was the first to notice. He could see her through the open window from her shoulders up. Even from his vantage point he could see that he skin was red and the grimace on her face told him she was in pain. Then he saw the brush come up over her clavicle.<p>

Hacker moved in behind her and was pulling her hair up on top of her head, making sure it was off her shoulders. Booth rage exploded and he headed for the door. Sully intercepted him. "Booth, you go in there now, you will kill her. Man I don't like this any more than you do, but we will kill her if we go in there."

"I am going to kill that bastard" Booth growled as she tried to move Sully out of the way.

"Booth you are going to have to either shoot me or beat me up to get me to let you go in there and get her hurt or killed."

Booths eyes were hard as he stared at Sully. Sally stepped between the men. She was not much shorter than Brennan, but she was tall enough to break Booths stare forcing him to look at her. "You're not leaving here. We are following the plan, you try to run in there all Army Ranger and I will shoot you, don't think I won't. I know this is hard, but it would be suicide to move now, you know it." Booth backed away and sat in a chair cringing anytime he heard what sounded like Bones suffering. When he heard her scream he almost came undone. "Oh my God, Bones." He wanted so much to take her pain from her.

* * *

><p>Brennan stood naked in the bathtub. She was not a modest woman but something about Hacker looking at her naked made her feel violated and she tried to her best to cover up. She almost screamed when she felt the brush being scrubbed up and down her back harshly, then to her derrière, then the back of her legs. He then scrubbed the front of her body. Every stroke caused her skin to get rawer. She wouldn't cry for him, she would not give him the satisfaction. She just kept thinking that Booth was near and he would get her soon. She bowed her head and silently prayed.<p>

The cleansing was humiliation. Once her body was rubbed raw and bleeding and she thought it couldn't get worse, Hacker stood in the tub behind her and pulled her hair up off her neck and shoulders and put it in a small bun. He then stepped out of the tub and opened a bottle of Bleach. He slowly poured the bleach over her raw skin. She couldn't help it, once the bleach hit her raw skin she screamed as it stung and burned the tender skin. Tears ran down her face. He let her stand there quivering from the pain. "Temperance love, not much longer, just need to give it time to purify you." The smell of the bleach was strong and the fumes burned her eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, he turned on sprayer and started to rinse her off.

Once she was dry, she was dressed in a very loose fitting linen dress as any pressure against her skin was painful. She was allowed to go to her room for a few hours to relax. Hacker assured her that she was purified and tonight she could share his bed only for sleep due to her recovering from being purified. She could still smell the strong bleach coming from her skin. Her skin felt like it was dehydrated and tight and it was bright red and painfully sensitive at even the lightest touch.

Brennan stood in her room and looked out of her window. She couldn't sit or lay down, her skin was too raw. So she stood, waiting for Booth and Sully to come and get her.

As late afternoon approached Hacker came and got Brennan. She came down stairs and into the kitchen where he was preparing to cook dinner. He sat her down at the table, she closed her eyes and bit her lip when her skin touched the chair. After she was settled he smiled at her and headed for the back door that he kept locked. "I will be right back Temperance, I am sure Mary Joe has some herbs in her garden and maybe some fresh baby carrots for our meal." He walked out of the back door, she frantically looked around and he left a knife on the cutting board. She slowly stood up and watched him head towards the back barn. She walked over to the cutting board and picked up the knife. She stood near the back door and hesitated, Booth was coming to get her, but when? As she stared out the window a flash went through her mind, long ago, kicking, punching, running. She reached for the door handle.

Booth was sitting staring at the board, his jaw set. What was going on in his mind was only a guess to Sully and Sally, but it sure wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Oh my God" Sally said, "He's outside"

Booth flew out of his chair, "Why" he said through clenched teeth. All three were looking now as Hacker headed for side of barn to the far side of the little house.

"There is a garden over there." Booth and Sully looked at each other and headed for the front door.

"Agent Booth" Sally's voice stopped him "I will get Dr. Brennan." Booth didn't turn around he just nodded as him and Sully quietly slipped out the door.

Sully went around the back of the barn and Booth went around the front. Hacker was picking herbs and never saw Sully step out from behind the barn. "Hello Hacker." Hackers head snapped up as he was looking at Sully standing there, gun at the low ready. "I suggest you get down on you knees, now!"

Hacker just gave him a smile and turned to walk away and came face to face with a very angry Booth. Booth's gun was at the low ready. "Down Hacker NOW!"

"You going to shoot an unarmed man? How would that look for you to shoot me, revenge because Temperance finally picked the better man." Booth's jaw twitched. He raised his gun staring Hacker in the eye. Booth had become the bull in a bull fight, as he looked at Hacker all he saw was red, he heard Bones screaming in his head, the thought of Hacker touching her made his blood boil.

"Booth, he isn't worth it. Booth stop he isn't worth it." Sully kept saying to him. "BOOTH STOP! He is not worth your career, he can't hurt her now."

"Agent Booth" he heard a distant female voice. "Dr. Brennan is fine, turn around, see for yourself, he can't hurt her now, he can't hurt her anymore."

* * *

><p>Brennan opened the door as she saw Booth work his way around the front of the barn, she wanted to yell to him, but she saw the gun and knew he was after Hacker. As she slowly moved down the stairs to follow, a hand came around her waist grabbing a hold of the hand that had the knife, another came over her mouth and there was a voice in her ear.<p>

Brennan's eyes were wide when she felt someone grab her and hold her tight. She started to struggle, when she heard a woman's voice. "Dr. Brennan, My man is Sally McClure, I was here this morning dressed as a male electrician, I gave you a note." Brennan slightly relaxed. "I am going to slide my hand down to the knife, take it and let you go." Nod if you understand" Brennan nodded.

Slowly Sally's hand covered Brennan's and slipped the knife out of her hand. Sally backed off and released Brennan. Brennan slowly turned to look at this person. "It is Okay, you're safe." Brennan backed away from this woman towards the direction she saw Booth go. "Dr. Brennan, stay behind the barn, I don't want you to get shot." Sally knew she needed to keep her calm so she didn't yell out and put Sully and Booth in danger.

Both women heard what sounded like the sounds of a scuffle and heard Sully yelling at Booth that he wasn't worth it. As they rounded the corner they Sally gasp and started trying to get through to Booth. Brennan just froze, her eyes wide.

"Tempe, talk to him." Sully was in front of her hands on her shoulders, she just stared as if not seeing him. Sully shook her until she looked at him. "Talk to him, Hacker isn't worth this you know it."

She stared at this man in front of her, flashes going through her mind. Her kissing him, sitting on a boat with him and Booth was there. "Sully?"

"Yeah Tempe, it's me, Talk to Booth, talk to him now."

She looked past Sully at Sally trying to pull Booth off Hacker. "Booth, I'm okay." She walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders from the back and started to pull with Sally. "Booth look at me, he isn't worth it." Sully helped pull Booth backwards and Brennan got in front of him. She reached up and held his face in her hands He was still staring at the motionless body of Hacker. "Look at me Booth," she tried to turn his face down towards her without much luck. Sally and Sully were struggling to hold him.

"Booth please, please I need you." She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Please, tell me it is going to be okay, tell me it is over." She felt some tension leave him.

Booth felt arms slide around his waist he could hear her voice; feel her head against his chest. When he lowered his head, his chin was resting on hers. His body relaxed. Sully and Sally released their hold on him and he wrapped his arms around Brennan.

"I'm right here, it's all over, you're safe." He held her tightly to him. Brennan grimaced each time pressure was applied to her body, but he was there, she was safe, she didn't care.


	20. Chapter 20

Sally called for medical assistance, while Sully was cuffing a now very beat up Hacker.

"Booth, get her out of here, I'll take care of this" Sully said to him.

"Thanks" Booth kept Brennan wrapped in his arms, just turned slightly to walk out of the garden with her and back to the small house they had been in.

Booth could smell the strong bleach coming off her skin. "God Bones, I am so sorry." I couldn't stop this, I wanted to, but he would have killed you if I did."

"Shh, it's okay" He looked at her hand the skin was red and had small lines where the bleach had dehydrated the skin. "Booth" she grimaced as he was rubbing his hand up and down her back. He stopped as soon as he saw the look on her face. "No touching for a couple of days, please."

"I'm sorry, I didn't."

"Quit saying you are sorry." She slowly leaned against him, putting her head on his shoulder. "You saved me." she closed her eyes while they waited for medical to check her out.

Booth leaned his head against hers. He needed to talk to Sweets when he got back. He remembers Hacker taunting him, his gun at the low ready, and then nothing until he felt Bones wrap her arms around him and saw Hackers limp bloody body laying in front of him. He looked at his hands; his knuckles were bruised and bloody. It wasn't that he beat Hacker; it wasn't that it might end his career; it was that he didn't remember it. He had let anger take control and that scared him.

Once Brennan was treated and given something for the discomfort and Booths hands were cleaned and wrapped, they were ready to head home. Hacker was in custody by the local sheriff and they would have him transferred to DC the next day.

Sally and the Sheriff had waited until they came out of the local ER. "Dr. Brennan, I am sorry for what you had to go through." Brennan shook her head, "I am fine and from what I hear it is thanks to you that I got out of there." Brennan shook her hand.

"Agent Sullivan, it was an honor to work with you." She smiled warmly at Sully

"Same to you Ms. McClure. You know if you ever decide to come up around DC, I could be persuaded to show you around."

"I will keep that in mind" She held out her hand to him and he took it and kissed. She ran her teeth over her bottom lip repeatedly then looked at Sully. "Because you don't know me and I do think you are okay I won't slap that smile off your face, but you do it again and I ain't promising nothin'." Sully grinned and held up his hands in defense.

Booth walked over to her, "Ms. McClure I want to thank you for all your help, I might not have found her if not for you." She nodded and held out her hand. Booth looked at his wrapped hands and leaned over and pulled her into an embrace. "You have no idea what your help means."

She smirked at him, "Sure I do." She turned and walked away.

"Well appears you two made an impression on her?"

Booth chuckled, "How can you tell, because she didn't shoot or maim us."

The sheriff laughed then his face went serious, "That is pretty much it." He watched Booths and Sully's face as they were trying to figure out if he was joking. "She waited to say good bye, she likes you two. You take care now, time for me to head home to the missus."

Sully climbed in the drivers seat of the SUV and Booth opened the front door for Bones. She opened the back door and climbed in, then looked around the seat at Booth, "You coming." He closed the front door and climbed in next to her.

He looked at Sully and grinned big, "Home James." Sully just laughed and shook his head as he headed back for DC.

Booth put his arm across the back of the seat and the sedative was taking affect on Bones, she carefully moved under Booths arm and snuggled up next to him the best she could with a seatbelt across her mid section. Booth had leaned his head against hers; the movement of the SUV was lulling him to sleep when he heard her whisper. "Thank you for saving me, I love you."

He smiled, "I love you too Baby" her arm slid across his chest and they both fell asleep.

As Sully pulled into DC he didn't know where to take them. Hodgins, Brennan's or Booths. He finally decided on Hodgins and he called and got Hodgins to open the front gate for him. As he pulled up at the guest house Angela was waiting for them. She had been beside herself since Hacker had taken off with Brennan.

As Sully stepped out Angela was at his side, "Is she okay?"

"She is fine, she was scrubbed and bleached, so she is very sensitive to touch right now, but she will be okay." Sully forced Angela to look at him. She looks like she has a very severe sunburn, she is red and her skin looks dehydrated and cracked. I just wanted you to be prepared." Angela had her hand over her mouth and was nodding at Sully.

Sully walked around the SUV and opened the door. Booth was waking up. He carefully slid out from under Brennan and was turning to pick her up. "Booth, I got her, you probably couldn't carry her anyway with those mitts." He motioned towards Booth's hands. Booth just nodded but stayed right behind Sully incase she woke up and needed him."

Angela pulled the sheets back on the bed and Sully laid her down. He walked up to Booth, "You two take it easy for a couple of days, I will handle the paperwork and if I need anything I will call you."

"Thanks Sully … for everything."

"Welcome Booth."

Angela sat by her friend and watched her sleep for several moments before deciding she needed to leave so Booth to could to sleep to. "Booth if you need anything you just call, we are just right there."

"I know Ange, we are fine, we both just need rest."

"Okay, I will lock up."

Booths hands were wrapped up and were starting to get stiff from the abuse they took earlier. He was finding his dexterity was almost none existent. "Want some help," he looked up as she walked around the bed.

"I sorry if I woke."

"Shh no you didn't." She unhooked the button on his pants and slid the zipper down. Any other time and this might be erotic. But right now it was just a comfort that she was there, alive and talking to him. She helped him pull off his shirt and his socks. He slid under the covers expecting her to follow.

She walked to the dresser and pulled out the loosest and softest gown she had. She laid the gown on a small bench as she started to tear at the sheer material of what she was wearing. The more she struggled with it, the more upset she became until she was crying uncontrollably ripping at it trying to get it off her body.

Booth was at her side and trying to gain control of her and comfort her without hurting her. "Bones, Bones … Bones shhh … let me help. He helped her get the one off and slip her gown on. After she was in her gown she wrapped her arms around him and he could feel her trembling. "Baby, what's wrong?"

She closed her eyes tight as she gripped his waist. "I was suppose to share his bed tonight." She felt Booth tense up. "He said it was not in a sexual way, it was something else."

"You shouldn't have gone through that, any of that." Tears were building up in his eyes.

"He didn't touch me." She pulled her head back to look him in the eye. She felt she needed to confirm that nothing sexual occurred between her and Hacker. "He wouldn't touch me until I was cleansed; he said I defiled myself with you. So he couldn't touch me."

"So he was going to touch you tonight?"

"No, because of the cleansing he had to let me heal, but wanted me to share his bed."

Brennan pulled away from Booth, when she saw the anger in his eyes, she mistook it for anger towards her, "I am so sorry Booth maybe I should have tried harder."

"Bones, baby, no. You did everything right." He gently guided her back against him, "We need to sleep, let's not worry about this anymore tonight. Come to bed with me."

Once under the covers and once he was comfortable she moved up against him careful of her sensitive skin. "He carefully wrapped his arm around her and rested it against her back. They both fell asleep almost immediately.

Booth woke up when he rolled over and reached for her only to find her gone. He sat upright and looked around the dark room. "Bones, Bones" instant panic rose up inside of him as he bolted out of bed and into the main part of the house to find her standing staring out the sliding glass door into the dark. He slowly started to cross the room to her. "Bones" he could see her reflection in the glass. "Bones, talk to me." He stood behind her watching her reflection waiting to see if she will look up in the window at him. "Baby"

"I had a dream. I dreamed what he was going to do to me."

"Oh … Bones, he is locked away he can't hurt you anymore."

"Booth we still don't know what happened to make him want me in the first place? We don't know what case I was working on, we don't know who Charlie and Michael were working for; we don't know any more than we did at the beginning, other than Hacker is the one that had me attacked in my apartment."

"Hey, hey, hey, he gently put his arms around her and she leaned her head back against him. We will ... we will, I promise."

"I just want this all over with, I want my memory back, I want us to be able to be normal again." She turned around in his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist and put her head against his chest." He rested his chin on top of her head, put his arms around her and just held her."

They stayed that way for a long time when she pulled back and looked up at him. "I love you Booth that is one thing in all this mess that is solid." She rested her forehead against his chin.

"I love you too Bones." He moved his chin off the top of her head and tipped his head as he lowered it to look at her face. She lifted her chin slightly so she could meet his gaze. She found her eyes drawn to his lips. She closed the distance between them and tenderly pushed her lips to his. When they pulled apart, Booth smiled at her. "Come on let's go back to bed. If you have a dream I will be there to help you."

When she finally fell asleep Booth lay there in the dark staring up at the ceiling. He wasn't going to sleep, he was going to keep his promise and be there if she had another dream.

When she woke up the next morning she found he watching her. He looked very tired. "Booth didn't you sleep?"

"A little," he lied, he had been looking over skin the irritated areas where the bristles of the brush has scratched her enough to bleed and then the bleach had irritated it. He could never understand how someone could do that to someone else. He remembered when he would hear his mother scream when his father would take her in the bathroom. He never knew what went on in there, but looking at Bones now and smelling bleach still coming off her skin he had a pretty good idea.

His cell rang and he sat up and answered it. It was Sully telling him Hacker was being brought in that afternoon, but that he could handle it. Brennan signaled Booth she was going to try to take a shower, he nodded and watched her disappear through the door of the bathroom. "Sully, we need to talk about what happened out there."

"Not sure what you are referring to Booth?"

"I blacked out, one minute I had my gun at the low ready and next Bones is in my arms and Hacker is beat to a pulp. You need to tell me what I did."

"We will talk later."

"Sully, it scares me that I don't remember it. Not that I did it, not that he deserved it. But not remembering it bothers me."

"Booth sit back and recoup with Tempe, I think you are imagining things much worse than they are."

"Sully, I beat him badly."

"Booth we will talk about it later, Take care of Tempe!" Sully hung up.


	21. Chapter 21

Booth went to the bathroom to check on Brennan. "Babe are you okay"

"It stings"

"Just let cool water run over you."

"I need to get the bleach smell off me"

"Okay let me get something that won't sting." He held his gauzed hand out to her and when she stepped out of the shower, he wrapped a towel around her. Just relax." He called Angela and asked if she had any baby wash.

"Yeah there is some in the closet in the upstairs bathroom, why?"

"Soap is stinging Bones skin."

Once he had the baby soap he set the water at warm, removed the bandages from his hands and he climbed in the shower with her, using only his hands and the baby soap he gently washed her, then her hair. The shampoo stung his knuckles as is flowed across his wounds, he ignored the pain. He was going to make up for what she had to go through by taking care of her. After the shower he used the lotion the hospital recommended for her. He carefully rubbed it down her back, as he got to her hips, she stopped him. "Booth I can put lotion on myself."

"I don't mind."

"I am sure you don't." She smiled trying to lighten the mood, but he didn't catch on. "Booth, you couldn't have prevented this." She picked up his hands, his knuckles were oozing. "We need to bandage your hands back up."

"They're fine."

She looked into his eyes and held his gaze. "No they're not."

"Bones…"

"Make you a deal."

He set his jaw and just looked at her. "You can finish putting lotion on me and I will bandage your hands." She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at him.

"Okay." He finished putting lotion over her body and then washed his hands and allowed her to bandage them. He helped her into one of his T shirts and a loose fitting pair of sweats. Brennan stayed inside on an oversized lounge watching Booth who was catching up on sports. The pills the hospital gave her to help with her discomfort made her tired and she soon fell asleep. Booth turned then and watched her sleep; just looking at her face you would never know what she had went through. She was so strong that it made him love her more.

* * *

><p>While she was sleeping Booth was going to cook her lunch when he heard a light tapping coming from the slider and looked up to see Angela waving at him. He motioned for her to come in and behind her was her cook. "Sorry, Booth, I figured you wouldn't be able to cook and didn't think Brennan would feel like it so Rosa here will cook up some meals for you so you just have to heat them up."<p>

Booth smiled gratefully at her, "Thanks Angela."

Booth helped Rosa come up with menus for the next few days and then left her alone to cook. He went off to their bedroom and pulled out his phone and called Sully.

"Hey Booth, how are you two doing?"

"Getting by, having my hands stiff and sore is bad enough, but add these bandages to them and I feel handicapped."

"I am sure your hands will be fine in no time. What about Tempe?"

"She is doing amazingly well, better than I would have thought. She had a dream the first night back, but other than that she seems to be holding up."

"Booth you realize this could just be the calm before the storm."

"Yeah, I know."

"I have copies of my report and Ms. McClures statement. I will bring them by for you to look at… It might help…"

"And you and I will talk about what really happened out there."

"Read my report and Ms. McClures statement first."

"Hey have you seen Sweets around."

Booth could hear the chuckling coming from the other side of the phone, "The 12 year old?"

"The kid isn't that bad."

"He is around; I can have him call you."

"Tell him to come by later, when Ange can distract Bones."

Later that evening Sully showed up with Sweets in tow. Booth greeted them at the door and Sully handed him the report. "Booth we can record your report and I can take it down and have it transcribed for you." Booth looked exasperated at Sully. Sully ignored him and went in to greet Brennan. "Tempe how are you?" He held out his arms, but then wasn't sure if he could hug her or not. "How about a kiss on the cheek,? I don't want to hurt you." She smiled and nodded. Sweets on the other hand didn't always use his brain and he grabbed Dr. Brennan into a bear hug. She let out some grunts as both Booth and Sully pried him off. Brennan was working on breathing through the stinging when Booth returned to the room with her pain pill and some water.

Sweets looked so sad, "Dr. Brennan I am so sorry, I didn't realize just … I should have known better."

"It's Okay Sweets," she smiled at him, "but if you will excuse me I am going to leave the room for a while."

When Brennan was out of sight Booth turned on him, "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I didn't realize it was that bad."

"Error on the side of it being really bad next time." Booth glared at him.

"Agent Sullivan said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah, let's go outside." Booth picked up the reports that Sully brought, "If you guys want something to drink, bar is there and beer is in the frig."

Booth sat back and read Sully's report and McClures statement then looked up at Sully with a mixture of emotions across his face. "Sully, this isn't right."

"Booth, are you calling me and Sally liars."

"Yeah, I am, I blacked out."

"Then how the hell do you know if we are lying or not?"

"Agent Booth, from what Agent Sullivan stated was that you were involved in a fight with Hacker, it was a fair fight and Ms. McClure was only able to give her report when she and Dr. Brennan came around the corner. She said you had Hacker on the ground penned and you did have you arm drawn back ready to strike but they were able to pull you off of him. So it does not appear you did anything outside of policy."

"Booth, I am sure Tempe will say the same, she was there."

"Look I can't let you put your job on the line for me."

"Booth, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Have you seen his face and my hands lately Sully? I beat the crap out of him and except for my hands, there isn't a bruise on me."

"Booth you fought at one time, you have training. Hacker is not so well versed, you managed to avoid everything, but that one hit to the head that about knocked you out."

"If what you say is true, then why can't I remember it?"

"Agent Booth, I don't know..."

"Sully would you go check on Bones?"

"Sure Booth."

When Sully was out of ear shot, "The night we got back, Bones had a dream and I promised her I would be there if she had another dream. I could smell the bleach coming of skin and I remember my father taking my mother into the bathroom and her screaming and later she would smell like bleach. I remember her skin red and cracked. I remembered I couldn't protect her. I couldn't protect my mother and I didn't protect Bones."

"Agent Booth, there was nothing you could have done to change this. If you would have tried to go in there he most likely would have killed her and you know that. Agent Booth you know she would tell you …"

"She has… told me the same thing."

"I am worried about blacking out."

"Why?"

"What if I hurt her?"

"Booth" he heard Sully's voice behind him "You would never hurt her and you know it. But … if she loses you it would destroy her. So don't let her lose you. Trust me, trust what I saw, just drop it. She needs you, even if she gets her memory back, she needs you."

"Sully, I can't lie."

"Then don't, like I said in my report you took one good blow to the head, other than that he didn't touch you. That one blow might have rattled you enough to cause your black out."

"He is right Agent Booth, that one blow might have made you forget those few minutes."

They had been outside talking for a while when Brennan came running out of the bedroom "Booth, Booth?" She was frantically looking around; she didn't see him come through the slider with Sully and Sweets behind him.

"Bones, Bones, I'm right here. Look at me, I'm right here."

Her eyes slowly turned towards him. Her face was tear streaked. "Booth, don't let him hurt me again."

He moved towards. "He can't hurt you anymore."

She looked at Booth confused and looked around the room realizing she had been sleep walking. She looked at Sully and Sweets embarrassed. "Booth" her voice was barely a whisper "I had a dream."

"I know" he moved to shield her from prying eyes and carefully put his arms around her. "But I am here and you are safe. He will never hurt you again."

"Booth, Sweets and I are going to get out of here." He put his hand on Booth shoulder and leaned in. "She needs you, remember that."

He pulled Sweets out the door as Sweets was trying to be his usual helpful self. "Dr. Brennan, if you need to talk …" Sully closing the door cut off his words.

Booth moved them to a sofa and he silently held her for a long time. He never said a word just held her. She finally lifted her head off him and turned to look at his face. He definitely had something on his mind. "Booth, what is wrong?"

"Nothing just thinking."

"Partners don't lie to each other." He turned and looked at her. That is something the old Bones would throw in his face. Him hiding something from her upset her. She looked into his eyes for several more minutes and then got up and walked into the kitchen.

Booth watched her go, he didn't like keeping something from her and if he would have known what it would cause he might not have. He watched her move around the kitchen preparing herself something to eat and then she walked out on the patio. She quietly sat in a lounge and ate the salad she made herself and nibbled on the grapes in between the salad bites, while she stared out across the estate at dusk.

She couldn't decipher why he was lying to her, had something happened that day, had what happened with Hacker changed how Booth felt. Part of her knew that wasn't the problem, but she had a feeling Booth was hiding something from her and lying to her about it and that hurt. He was behind her and gently rested his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, come to bed."

"I'm fine here for now, not very tired." He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"See you in the morning babe." She nodded

As soon as he was out of sight, she went in search of his cell phone. She found it on the kitchen counter and she found Sully's number in it. Pushing the speed dial she headed out onto the patio.

"Hey Booth"

"It's me Sully."

"Tempe? What can I do for you?"

"Tell me what Booth is keeping from me."

"He is not keeping anything from you."

"I might not have my memory but I know he is keeping something from me?"

"Tempe, he doesn't remember the fight with Hacker. He blacked out and he is afraid he will black out with you and … and become his father."

"Booth wouldn't hurt me."

"We all know that, but Booth is scared and apparently what Hacker did to you brought back something his father did to his mother. He couldn't stop it then and he didn't stop it this time."

"Sully he couldn't have."

"I know, he just needs to accept that."

"What about him blacking out."

Sully stared at the corner of his office, took a deep breath, deciding how to word this next sentence to her, "He thinks he beat Hacker, which he did, but Hacker kept coming at him."

"Sully, he had his arm pulled back ready to hit him when I saw him. Yeah and that is the only time he would have been outside of policy if he would have hit him, but he didn't hit him, we didn't let him. Tempe I think he blacked out because Hacker was abusing you much like his father abused his mother, even if he hasn't put 2 and 2 together yet."

"So what do I need to do?"

"Do what you always have done. Be there for him, rely on him, let him take care of you, and above all else love him."

"Thanks Sully." She ended the call and put the phone back on the counter. She went over and looked out the window for a long long time. She turned and slowly made her way to the bedroom turning out lights as she went.

When she opened the door she found Booth sitting on the side of the bed just staring down at the floor. "Booth" he didn't move. She cautiously walked over to him, "Booth" he held out his arm and she sat down by him. "I couldn't stop him, I was too little and I didn't understand what he was doing to her. I knew it wasn't good, but I didn't fully understand it until I smelled the bleach coming off of you. She went through that for years and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't protect her and I couldn't protect you."

"Booth stop, I am alive, I am here, you can touch me, my skin will heal and no one will know."

"I will know."

"What are you trying to say? That you are going to leave me because things didn't go the way you planned. You realize what he could have done to me if not for you, Sully, and Ms. McClure, right?" Booth closed his eyes are the thought. "Do you think this is my fault?"

"Bones, I would never, no, this was not your fault."

"Just like what happened to Hacker is not your fault." His head snapped to her, how do you…?"

"I called Sully, he told me what happened. Why don't you believe him?"

"I don't know, maybe I am afraid I am my father and he use to claim he blacked out when he did some of the stuff he did."

She turned his face to look at her. "You would never hurt me, I know that." The tears threatened his eyes and he tried to turn away from her. Tears started down her cheeks as she shook her head at him. "Let it out" She rested her forehead against his he let out the pain that this case had dredged up. He cried and tightened his embrace on her, lifting her into his lap and holding her to him so tight, she could barely breathe. The stinging was enough to make her quiver, but she would not let him know, he needed her and she could handle some pain to give him some comfort.

When he cried himself out he realized just how tightly he had been holding her. "Oh my God Bones, are you okay?"

"Booth I am just fine, would you quit fussing."

"I didn't hurt you."

"Booth, I am fine, now stop let's get some rest."

As they lay side by side in bed she waited till his breathing was even before she slowly got up and made her way to the kitchen to find her pain pills. She took a pill and headed back for bed when she saw him standing in the door way. "I hurt you didn't I?"

"Booth, stop that, no you didn't."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Booth, I am fine, you needed me and I was there for you, by my own choice."

"I think it would be better if I slept in the other room."

"I … am … not … fragile, you can lean on me and you should lean on me, just like you want me to lean on you. Do you really think I didn't notice how much it hurt you to wash my hair? I let you do it because you needed to at the time, just like you felt you had to bathe me." He looked into her eyes, how did she know?

She moved into his arms, "We are friends, we are partners, and we are lovers. We don't keep secrets from each other. I love you and I need you with me; I need to be in your arms. I don't need you across the house from me. Unless … you … after what happened."

"Bones, NO, how can you even think that. NO," he cupped her head in his hands and his brown eyes bore into hers. "Don't ever think that, ever. I hate what he did to you, but it was not your fault and that does not make me love you or want you any less. You understand?"

She just nodded never taking her eyes off his. "If you will believe what Sully says happened out there."

"Bones, not the same thing."

"Really, you are asking me to have faith in you, to trust you, to believe in your gut, but you won't have faith in anyone else."

He released her and groaned as he walked across the room. "You are the most aggravating woman."

"I only aggravate you when I am right." He turned and glared at her. "At least try to believe Sully."

"Okay, I will try."

"Can we go to bed now?" She asked as she walked over and took his hand.


	22. Chapter 22

Because they still didn't know what Brennan was working that triggered this whole series of events and with Booth's hands still stiff a week later, they opted to stay in the guest house at least until Booth was back in the game.

Booth reluctantly gave in to Sully's story of what happened. Hacker of course countered what was in the report stating neither Sully nor Booth liked him as their superior officer and Booth had taken advantage of this situation to get even. In the end Hackers actions in regards to Dr. Brennan, his sabotage of her computer, kidnap, and harm to her removed any credibility he had.

Brennan's skin healed all but some of the deeper scratches, which were healing nicely. And, as she had told Booth, unless you knew what happened there was no visible marks on her. Of course, Booth tried to insist on a closer inspection which served only to get him chased out of the room with a pillow being swung at him.

They had fallen into very comfortable routine as a couple. Habits had been formed, such as brushing their teeth around each other, who showered first when they didn't shower together, cooking was probably the easiest, they just fell into their own little dance as they worked together to create themselves their meals.

Booth started to selfish hope she never got her memory back, he was afraid if she did, she would go to her home and he would go to his and while he hated himself for thinking it, he didn't want to lose anything they gained as a couple.

She found him one morning standing out in the crisp cool air drinking his coffee. "Penny for your thoughts." He smiled at her and held his arm out to her, which she didn't hesitate to snuggle into. "You seem far away, there is something bothering you, tell me what it is."

"It is nothing other than a selfish wish."

She studied his face for a moment, "You don't want me to get my memory back."

"He looked guilt, "No, I don't."

She dropped her head and laid it on his shoulder, "Why?"

"Like I said it is selfish, I would love you no matter what, but I am afraid if you get your memory back you will go home and I will go home and we won't have this."

"Booth, we don't know what would happen."

"I know, I just love waking up to you in the morning and going to bed with you at night and rolling over and having you there. I don't want to give that up, not that you would make me, but you are pretty damn independent."

"And what if I do?"

"Baby, don't misunderstand I will deal if that is what happens, I would just prefer it didn't."

"We could get married."

He laughed, "I would marry you in a minute, but if the other you comes back you might put me in a CCU. But, I will ask one day, memory or no memory, I will ask you."

"Even though you know the other me is against marriage you would still ask me?"

"Yeah, because you have come around on other things I am thinking you would come around on that too eventually." He had rolled his eyes skyward and tipped his head backwards, "We might both have one foot in the grave, but you might come around and honor me with being my wife."

Her smile faded, "What if I don't?"

"I will keep asking and I will still be loving you, but I will put my foot down on living separately at some point. I will not sleep without you for the rest of my life."

She smiled, "Don't ever stop asking." She leaned up and kissed him.

* * *

><p>After another week, Booth was back at work and Brennan was trying to create a life when he was away, so she decided to go to school and take some anthropology classes, it would take up some time and might help jar her memory.<p>

She had accepted her new domestic role of Booth's spouse even if they weren't married. She enjoyed fixing his dinner and talking to him about his day and being a hostess to their friends. Angela pulled her aside one evening and asked how she was doing.

"Angela I am fine, I am very happy."

"What about getting your memory back? Not that this Brennan is a bad thing, it is just so opposite of the other you."

"Angela I can't make it come back, so I have to adjust to the way things are now. I am taking anthropology classes and living in your guest house. I do think it is time Booth and I go back to our places or find us a place or something, we can't live here forever."

"Why not, it sits empty and I like having you so close that we can have girl time even if the boys are around."

"While that is tempting, I know while he was protecting me it was justified, but you know he can't justify it if he isn't paying for it."

"Fine then you can pay rent."

"Angela."

"I know, I know. But I just want what is best for you two."

She hugged Angela, "I know."

Booth walked in and both women stopped what they were doing and just stared at him. He stopped and nervously looked from one to the other, "What?'

"Nothing, nothing at all G-Man," Angela smiled at him as she headed back into the living room.

"Why do I think I should be scared whenever I find you and Angela alone?"

"Paranoid much?"

"Pfft, No … should I be? Bones? Should I be?"

* * *

><p>When they finished their evening rituals, Brennan crawled into bed next to Booth, he rolled on his side, "Bones, umm it …" he slid his hand down her arm "your skin is healed …" he inched a little closer to her, "and my hands are fine aside from a little rough in the knuckles" he slid his hand off her arm and down onto her waist, "and … well…"<p>

"Booth are you suggesting …"

"Yes, he cut her off." She giggled at him and started to slide towards him when his arm encircled her waist and pulled her to him. "I am not so much suggesting as …" he placed his lips against her throat and worked his way around the side of her neck to behind her ear. She wrapped her arm around his mid section and up his back to his shoulder she trailed his clavicle with her tongue from mid chest out to his shoulder. He pulled back from her slightly. He rolled to his back pulling her with him, her coming to rest on top of him. Smoothing her hair back from her face, he gazed into her eyes. "I love you baby."

She smiled back down at him as she repositioned her legs on either side of him. "I love you too." She lowered her lips to his, just before their lips touched, she breathed against his mouth, "Make love to me."

"It would be my pleasure" he said as reality dissolved around them.

* * *

><p>"So what were you and Angela talking about?" Booth inquired as he held her against him gently stroking her arm with his fingers.<p>

"We were talking about us going back to our lives." Booth felt his heart stop for a split second and his fingers stopped their movement on her arm. He knew that she was right; there was no reason for them to continue to live here. "She said we should live here. I told her that you would never do that unless you were paying for it. She says she wants what is best for us. And if I was here we could have girl time even if you and Hodgins were around."

His fingers resumed their trek up and down her arm. "You are right, it is time for us to go back to our lives, but our lives are different now." She raised up and turned so her chin was resting on his chest, "We have to make some decisions Bones. Are we going to go back to our apartments? Are we going to live together? These are things we need to talk about. But we are not talking about it tonight, tomorrow we will talk about it tomorrow." He kissed her and she settled her head back into the groove of his arm and they drifted off to sleep.

"Booth, how much do you love me?"

"What kind of question is that? I love you, how do you measure love?"

Brennan looked pained, "Please Booth this is important."

"Baby, I have loved you forever, God made us for each other, we fit together and not just physically, even though that is like …" Booth grins wide at her his brows up in amazement, "wow".

"Booth I am being serious, please answer the question."

Booth looks at her confused, she is definitely stressed, he takes her by the arms and sits down on the sofa, he faces her, "I have told you before, I would kill for you, I would die for you. Bones, I would do anything for you, because without you, everything is pointless."

She gets up and runs out the back slider and heads towards the mansion. "Bones, where are you going?" He runs after her "Bones, what is wrong?" She is yelling for Angela as she approaches the house. Angela opens the door looking just as concerned for her friend as Booth is. Brennan runs the house with Booth directly behind her. She looks at Angela frantically. "Angela tell me what to do."

Angela looks at Booth confused. "I don't know Angela, she has been acting this way since we got up."

"Sweetie, what do you want me to tell you?"

"Tell me what to do."

"What to do about what?" Angela's confusion is written all over her face.

"About Booth."

Booth and Angela look at each other. "Okay Sweetie, what about Booth, what happened."

"He said he would kill for me and he would die for me."

"Okay, Sweetie you need to calm down." She turns worried eyes towards Booth as she steers Brennan towards the den and grabs a bottle of wine and 2 glasses on the way.

"Booth, is Dr. B Okay?" Jack startled Booth when he came around a corner

"I-I don't know. She was fine last night when we went to bed and she woke up like this."

"Come on Booth lets go back down to the guest house and let Angela talk with her."

"Sweetie, tell me what happened from the start." Angela said as she was pouring them some wine

Brennan was standing looking out the window. "He loves me and I love him so why is everything so difficult?"

"What is difficult?"

"Where are we going to live?"

"I am sure you and Booth can figure that out."

"My apartment is bigger yes, which would make sense. But, Booth's apartment is warm and makes you feel comfortable with you walk in. Angela I don't think I can make a place make you feel like that."

"Whoa Bren, have you and Booth been arguing over where to live."

"No"

"Okay, so why are you so upset?"

"Angela can't you see it?" she motioned to herself

Angela moved her eyes over Brennan, "No Sweetie, I can't."

"Brennan looks at herself in a mirror." Motioning for Angela to come to her, "Look, see it is as plain as the nose on your face."

"Sweetie, I see you and me looking in a mirror. I don't see anything strange."

Brennan turned to Angela, "You think I am crazy."

"No, Bren, but I think something has upset you and I think something to do with you amnesia has put you in this state of mind."

Brennan turned towards Angela grabbed both her hands and shoved them onto her stomach, "Are you telling me you can't feel that?" She looked into the mirror and could see Angela's hands on her distended belly. Angela, I am pregnant. Will Booth still love me now or will he leave like everyone else in my life?" Angela started to slide away from her, drifting further and further into the darkness until she couldn't see he anymore and she was left alone staring into a mirror.

Brennan sat straight up in bed gasping for air, clenching the damp sheet to her chest. She was looking around at the room trying to get her bearings when she felt his arms around her. "Baby are you okay?"

She leaned against him, "Booth?"

"Yeah" She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Shhh, it's okay, I am here." He stroked her hair, while she got her trembling body under control. "Wanna tell me about it?"

"Not right now."

"Okay" he laid back down taking her with him and held her while she went back to sleep. He stared at the ceiling wondering what if she was. She had been talking in her sleep and while he couldn't make out most of it 'I am pregnant' came out very clear. As he laid there and contemplated it, the smile on his face grew to a large grin. A baby with her, he would be the luckiest man on earth if that were to happen. He closed his eyes, the smile still firmly affixed to his face as he laid his cheek against her head.


	23. Chapter 23

When Booth woke up she was staring at him. He opened one eye and looked at her. "Okay Bones you stared me awake, what is on you mind?"

"That limbo box was not connected to anything."

Booth's brain will still off in la la land as he tried to decode what she just said. "What? I-I'm not awake, be more specific."

"The limbo box 85-234 had nothing to do with anything. It was a World War I soldier found in France when someone was digging up a field. I finished with it and the remains were moved from limbo."

He watched her for a moment, "You remember."

"I remember that. It had nothing to do with the Lakely homicide or with me getting to close to something." She knew Booth's next question was how much she remembered. "That was the last thing I worked on before this happened. I don't remember anything else."

He sat up and reached for her hand. "Hey that is okay, baby steps Bones, baby steps." She gave him a weak smile and nodded. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, "Come on let's get dressed and go out for breakfast." Her smile became brighter, "There's my girl." He kissed her lips and then scooted off the bed and headed for the bathroom.

An hour later they were on their way to the diner, both sitting in silence, both thinking about the same thing, neither talking. Booth would cast glances at her trying to read the expression on her face. When he told her he would put his foot down on living together eventually, he never realized how the thought of not having her around all the time would affect him. He wanted them together, he believed she did too, but the other Bones might have a different idea and she could appear at anytime.

Brennan was starring out the window of the SUV the thought of going back to her apartment alone was not something she looked forward to. She wanted to be with Booth, but she also knew that her memory could come back at anytime and she didn't even know what to expect of her other self. How much of this Brennan would be left when the other one came back, how much resistance would the other her exert about living with Booth?

They both snapped out of their thoughts as Booth pulled into the diner. They sat at their normal booth. She ordered oatmeal and fruit and he ordered steak and eggs. "Booth that stuff is not health for you, you should have some oatmeal it is good for your heart."

As soon as she finished the words, they both just looked at each other. She glanced around and then brought her eyes back to him. "That was strange."

"That was very other Bones."

"So the other me is coming back." She didn't sound enthusiastic.

"We don't know that, just don't dwell on it, lets just keep going along like everyday." She nodded. Booth took a bite of his steak, "So are you going to tell me about your dream last night?"

She looked down at her oatmeal. "It was just a strange dream, I was asking you how much you loved me and when you finally answered I ran to Angela, it gets fuzzy from there, but we were talking and she started sliding back into the dark until I couldn't see her anymore." She shook her head, "Like I said strange."

"You don't remember what you and Angela were talking about?" _She didn't even remember dreaming she was pregnant._

She looks at him and thinks for a moment, "Nope." She took a bite of her fruit and changed the subject. "This is over right, we don't need to stay locked up anymore?"

"Yeah, we got Hacker."

"Then we need to decide about our living arrangements."

"I know and I have thought about it. I want us together."

"My apartment is larger, but yours is for inviting."

"My kitchen is smaller, but then we don't cook that much at home. But, that could change if we are living together."

"My apartment has 2 bathrooms."

"Bones, the guest house has 3 and we still only use one."

"I say we try them out."

"Try what out, the other bathrooms?"

"No we try living at your place for a while and then at mine and decide which works the best for us."

"Good idea, so which one do we start with."

"Yours" she said matter of fact.

"Okay mine it is, we will move into mine this weekend." He glanced at his watch, "But right now I am late and I need to get you home."

"Booth, you go I will get a cab home."

"Bones, I …."

"I will be fine, now kiss me like you love me and go." She gave him an evil grin.

He returned her grin, "Well that will be easy." He stood up, rounded the table and cupped her face in his hands. "I love you Baby." His lips brushed across hers and he smiled into her eyes. I will see you when I get home."

She sat at the table and watched him get in his SUV and drive away. She left the diner and went to the nearest drug store to pick up some items she needed and then hailed a cab to take her to the Jeffersonian. She had class in a couple of hours and no reason to all the way home and then back. She had plenty that would keep her busy until Booth got off and could drive her home.

As she sat in her office part of her wanted to remember who she was, but she didn't want to lose what she had gained while the logical side of her had been away. She decided to write a letter to herself.

_Dear Self,_

_I don't know the side of you I am writing this for. I have been told about  
><em>_your logic and the way you see the world. But, if you ever read this you  
><em>_need to know there is more than science.  
><em>_I believe you had it once, a long time ago. Why do I think this? Because I  
><em>_am you and I can love and feel without the need to explain how.  
><em>_You, me, us, we love Booth. I loved him from the start so I know you must  
><em>_too. If you read this don't apply science to him, don't examine him or try  
><em>_to explain your physical reaction to him, just let him hold you and just  
><em>_feel.  
><em>

_Science and faith can live in harmony if you, we just let them. They each have their  
><em>_place. Booth is not part of your science, our feelings for him, the un-explainable  
><em>_twinges we get when we think about him are not science. They are love, pure  
><em>_love._

_Love creates, science dissects. _

_From Me_

She saved her file and set up a password and smiled as she selected it. _Wonder if Booth could guess it this time?_ She smiled to herself, looked at the box she bought at the drug store then put it back in the bag, popped a stick of gum in her mouth and left for her class.

* * *

><p>They had moved to his apartment, they had decided they would live there for 2 months before trying her apartment. While their physical address was different, their ability to adjust to each other was not. The guest house was large and spacious, Booth's apartment was compact and cozy, but the couples dance they did with each other adjusted seamlessly. In some ways Brennan preferred the cozy over the spacious.<p>

Brennan had found herself visiting her office at the Jeffersonian more frequently and writing herself letters. Letters she might never have to read.

_Dear Self,_

_I found I like the cozy warmth of Booth's apartment. I visited yours today, while nicely decorated it lacks that warmth. I plan on changing that when we live there for our trial that is unless you return first. Not that I don't want you back, I am just afraid of you coming back and not allowing yourself to remember me. _

_I am eating vegetarian again, it just seemed to happen. Little bits of you poke through, which leads me to believe you are trying to come back. You are a brilliant woman, I have read some of the papers you have written and while I don't understand it all, I am in awe of your brain. _

_Seems funny to speak of you as a detached person, while I know you are me and I am you, we are so very different, yet those differences make us who we are. _

_I will never stop reminding you of our love for Boot,h that is something that you can not forget, because I don't think I could live without him and I am part of you. _

_Love Creates, science dissects. _

_From Me_

Brennan continued to attend her anthropologist classes trying to regain some control over her life. A life that only recently began and she had to build from square one if her memory never came back.

Brennan and Angela headed to her apartment to try to give it some of what Booth's apartment had the glow and the warmth.

"Sweetie, most of what you are trying to do will happen when you two move in. Right now this apartment has been left alone and it is sad, once it is lived in a again it will be happy and look differently."

Brennan looked at Angela like she had lost her marbles. "Angela the apartment doesn't have feelings, it is wood and steel molded to provide us with a domicile or shelter." Angela stopped and stared at Brennan. "Oh, Oh, What did I just say?"

"Something very other you."

Brennan sat down on her couch. "Angela I have been writing letters to myself when I come to the Jeffersonian."

"Okay sweetie"

"Make sure if the other me comes back that I read them. She needs to know that there are things I don't want to give up, she has to know how important those things are to us."

"You mean Booth?"

"Yes, I can't live without him and if she won't let him in and we lose him, it will destroy me, which will destroy her."

"Bren, I am sure you will not lose this memory again when the old you comes back, if she comes back."

"But the other me might refuse to read the letters. And she needs to read them. Knowing they are there and knowing part of her wrote them isn't good enough, she needs to read them. Promise you will make her read them."

"I promise" Angela nodded her head.

As the two women worked in silence, transforming the apartment from what appeared to be a quiet study to a comfortable home. When they were done they stepped back and Angela put her arm around Brennan's shoulder, "See it looks happy." Brennan smiled and nodded, the apartment did look happy.

Angela was ready to leave, "You coming sweetie?"

"No you go ahead, I have something I need to do?"

She didn't have a lap top, so she went to her office and pulled out a piece of her stationary.

_Dear Self, _

_ I noticed part of you slipped through today. While I know this is progress and  
><em>_should be considered a good thing, it scared me.  
><em>_I am sure when you read this you will not agree with me and will come up with all kinds of logic to avoid it and rationalize why it is not an option._

_It is the only option. I want this and if I want this you want this. This will make us happy, happier than you can imagine, but you need to take the leap. I am ready and I want to, but I am afraid you will destroy it if you come back, so I am making you do it. _

_I am sure you will fight it, I am sure you will try to push it from your mind, but I won't let you, I will be under the surface and I will not allow you to forget. I will  
><em>_not allow you to take this from us._

_I am sure you will return, you are strong, it is just a matter of time. So you are the one that has to do this. I could, but it would not have the same meaning. _

_You will ask Booth to marry us. You will tell him that you believe in happy ever after and love eternal. No more logic, no more science, we love him and we want to spend the rest of our lives as his wife. _

_Love creates – science dissects _

_Me_

When she was finished she put the letter in an envelope and addressed it to herself at the Jeffersonian. She popped it in the mailbox on her way out and headed home to Booth with a smile on her face.

Booth and she moved their stuff to her apartment. Her apartment was more spacious and offered a swimming pool, which was the selling point for Parker.

There was a silence between them as they ate. Not uncomfortable, just a silence, both appeared to be in deep thought about something.

"Booth" "Bones", they said in unison. They both chuckled. "You go first" he said. "No, Booth, you mine is not that important."

"Bones, what would you think about us buying a place with a yard?" His eyes searching her face and her just staring back. _He wants to buy a house with me? He wants to put down roots?_ "Bones, it was just a thought, you know a yard to play catch with Parker … we don't …."

"No, no, I think it is a great idea, I just didn't expect it, we had not even discussed something like this."

"I was thinking about the guest house and the yard and the barbecue." She smiled at the thought of Booth having his outdoor kitchen. "Anyway we can talk about it later, what did you want to talk to me about."

"Umm, well, I guess mine could be along the lines of yours." She watched his face as she asked her question. "Booth, did you ever … think about … having more children?" His face dropped, _was that a look of horror, was he about ready to flee._ "I … it …" She blew out air, not knowing what to say.

"Bones, are you …?" he motioned to her stomach.

"No, no, no. I … umm … nevermind, it was just a crazy thought."

"Bones no it is not a crazy thought. Yeah, I would like more kids, give Parker a brother or a sister."

As they put cleaned up from their dinner she turned to see him watching her in a strange way, "Booth, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just wondering" he was looking her up and down and a sly smile came across his face.

She started to back away from him "Booth, I don't like that look."

"Aww baby, you know you can trust me." She eyed him warily and slowly made her way towards the living room. "So you want a baby?" he was smiling and slowly moving towards her. She turned to run, he lunged at her and caught her, pulling her up against him, his lips found her neck, he worked his way up behind her ear and whispered to her "So, I guess we should start practicing making a baby. They say practice makes perfect." Before she could comprehend what he just said, his mouth assaulted hers as he began to clumsily back her up toward their bedroom, finally picking her up her, legs sliding around his waist. They disappeared behind the bedroom door.


	24. Chapter 24

Booth arrived home from work; he had a realtor's pamphlet in one hand and a sack of groceries in the other when he heard a horrible guttural sound coming from their apartment. He stopped outside the door and listened for a moment.

Putting down the groceries and the brochure, he cautiously opened the front door and his face contorted, which if seen you would have thought he had some very bitter in his mouth. He stuck his head through the door and then tentatively stepped in and glanced around until he found Bones looking out the window with a similar look on her face. Her hands resting on the stereo as she listened to some tribal throat singing.

"Bones?"

She doesn't move, "Did I like this?" she reaches down and turns it off.

"You said you found it fascinating and I can't remember the rest of what you said about it."

"Okay, remind me never to turn that on again." She shivered.

Booth laughed, "Does that count if the old you comes back?"

"You will just have to find out what the other me thinks about it?"

Booth looked at her took a deep breath and blew it out. "Thinking I am not going to do that. I value my life." He retrieved the groceries and the pamphlet in the hall and took them into the kitchen. "How was your day?"

"It was good, but I don't think I did so well on my test."

"Test, you had a test today?"

"Yes, I don't seem to understand it very well." Booth cocks his head to one side and looks at her sympathetically. "It is frustrating that I am having problems in a field of study that I have a degree in and that I am apparently very good at."

"The Best" Booth added with a smile

The smile that was precariously on her face has faded. "Booth, I am scared."

"What of?"

"What if my memory doesn't come back? Cam, can't hold my job forever, they are going to have to hire someone. What if I can't write anymore? What am I … are we going to do?"

"Hey, hey, hey" He wraps his arms around her. "You are not going to worry about this, because no matter what we will be fine. I make decent money; I can take care of you." As soon as the words came out of his mouth, his face crinkled up waiting for the knockout blow from her. She didn't move she didn't lash out and remind him she could take care of herself. She just seemed too silently accept this as her fate.

* * *

><p>Booth cell broke the silence that had fallen between them. "Booth"<p>

"Booth, it is Sully"

"What's up?"

"This thing with Tempe doesn't pan out. The Lakely homicide, was closed, it was solved, but for some unknown reason about 2 weeks before Tempe's …. Anyway, it was reopened by guess who?"

"Hacker."

"Yeah, he reopened the investigation and handed it over to Charlie."

"Reopened a solved case, why?"

"We don't know, but you know my opinion is that he was using the case to hide something, so I am going through that now. Still trying to connect Styers to all this. Booth, I have a meeting with one of the Romano families trusted, if you care to join me."

"When?"

"In about an hour."

"Pick me up." Booth hung up his phone.

"Booth, what was that?"

"Just Sully"

"What did he have to say?"

He looked at her for a few minutes. "The Lakely homicide was closed, when you and I solved it. Hacker opened it back up and assigned it to Charlie, but we don't know why. Sully is just doing some checking around trying to connect the pieces."

"Where are you going?"

"Just to question some people with Sully." She crossed her arms and tightened her jaw. "Booth, I might not be as book smart as the other me, but I can tell when you are lying to me and you are lying to me."

He took her by the arms, "Okay, I am going with Sully to talk to one of the trusted in the Romano family. He might be able to answer some questions for us." His eyes never left hers.

"Mafia family?"

"Don't leave here. I'll be back later. I love you Bones." He kissed her and walked out the door. She closed and locked it behind him, then stared at the door.

Booth and Sully arrived at an old dilapidated warehouse to meet with Tony; who prided himself as being the Romano family muscle. "Ever feel like a sitting duck Sully?"

"Yeah, kind of like right now."

Booth and Sully watched 2 cars pull up from the other side of the warehouse. As they came to a stop bright lights were casts on Sully and Booth's vehicle, blinding both men.

They slowly stepped out and stepped in front of their vehicles. One at a time they opened their jackets and lifted them as they turned to show they did not have any weapons. They also lifted their pant legs to show no back up weapons were strapped to them.

Tony was in the shadows watching and his men were in place to take care of business if either agent tried to pull a fast one. Tony and most of the Romano family had run ins with the law and usually most of them had someone looking for them, so it was better to be overly careful.

Once satisfied Tony walked forward, still remaining in the shadows, Booth and Sully also walked forward until told to stop.

"What can I do for the FBI gentlemen?"

"We have had an unusual case where the Romano family name was being thrown around."

"More details would be nice."

"The three names I am going to give you, could you tell me if they have worked for you or with you?

"That depends Agent."

"Two of them are dead, the third is in jail for kidnapping and attempted murder. The two dead ones were under the impression they worked for your family.

"Interesting that you say some of our people have moved on into the afterlife."

"Why is that interesting?" Booth asked.

"Agent Booth, nice to see you. I heard what happened to your beautiful partner. It is a shame she had to go through that, however, you can see from my end of it, her loss of memory benefits us."

"What do you know about the Lakely Hills homicide?" Sully quickly asked.

"That was closed several years ago. Agent Booth you were the investigator on that, you and your partner closed it."

"It was reopened." Booth said with a flat tone to his voice

"Why?"

"We were hoping you could tell us." Sully said

"I am confused."

Booth's jaw started to twitch, "My partner was beat and left to die all because she was apparently getting to close to something that could take your family down. The case was reopened by Assistant Director Hacker. Does he work for you?"

"Agent Booth, Again my sincere apologies about your partner, but that case was closed, there is nothing more to it. We don't know Hacker."

"What about Charlie Burns or a Michael Styers?"

Tony looked from one to the other. "Don't know those names, sorry." He turned to go

"They why did this person want us coming after you?" Booth was angry.

Tony stopped and turned back around. "Maybe because he knew we would kill you if you did anything that could be portrayed as a threat. Good evening Agents." Tony turned and walked into the shadows. Shortly after Tony pulled away the bright lights were turned off and Sully and Booth were left in the silence of the warehouse.

"Bones did say the remains she ID'd in limbo had nothing to do with this. They were of a WWI soldier." He looked at Sully, "Hacker set this up to get me killed, if things would have went as planned, I would be dead and he would be …" he closed he eyes and a look of disgust flowed across his face.

"Booth, we aren't dead and we will piece this together. Booth he thought this through, he was really going to cover his tracks."

"He was probably concocting another plan when we caught him."

Booth looked up at Sully, "How well did we search that house?"

"Locals did."

"Remember what Sally said about them taking care of each other and strangers standing out. What about the cops, what was that young hotheads name?"

"Kirk Sanders"

"We need to talk to Sally tomorrow."

* * *

><p>The next morning Sully's answered his phone to a very angry Sally McClure. "Sully something is not right here."<p>

"What do you mean?" Sully asked trying not to sound suspicious, but it just seemed a little too coincidental that just the night before him and Booth started to suspect problems in an agency that she use to work for.

"I just called a call from the Sheriff, he asked me to go back to the scene and take a look around. Did you know that property had been willed to Hacker through the previous owner?"

"And that proves."

"Sully there are no death certificates for the previous owners and there I found a will leaving all the property to the caretakers, Mary Joe and John."

"Something doesn't smell right, I moved Mary Joe and John, but I think you need to talk to them. I don't have the experience you have and I am not a cop anymore."

"Sally, why did the sheriff as you to go out there?"

"He just called me and …"

"Why would he ask you and not one of his deputies?"

"Because he trusts me."

"I hope that is the reason. I want you to get Mary Joe and John and get out of there, come to DC and straight to the Hoover building, there will be passes for you. Don't make any stops on the way."

"Okay, Sully what is going on?"

"Honestly I don't know, but I think you were just put in the bulls' eye."

She told him what she would be driving, she headed back to her placed picked up several weapons, Mary Joe and John and headed out a back road to take her to the freeway. She hoped by the time anyone figured out they were missing they would be safely in DC. She called Sully as she was leaving and told him where she was. He and Booth were positioned to pick her up and watch her all the way in. They could alternate if need be while the other looked for any tails.

Booth picked her up as they were rolling into DC. Sully held back and watched for tails. As he was driving his cell ran "Sullivan"

* * *

><p>"Agent Sullivan, this is Sheriff Daniels."<p>

"Hello Sheriff, what can I do for you?"

"Well you know something isn't right with our end. I hate to admit it but I think I have a bad deputy."

"What are you talking about."

"Sanders, I think he is covering up something and now … Crap, I sent Sally back out to that house, I knew if something was being covered up and there was any evidence, she would be the one to find it. Now because of me she is missing and I think Sanders has something to do with it."

Sully wasn't about to let on that he knew where Sally was, at least not until he was sure he could trust him. But he thinks he was right and the sheriff put her into the bulls eye even if it was unintentional. "Sheriff is there anyway you can get away and meet me at my office? I would drive down there, but I am buried in paperwork on this."

"Sure Son, I would be happy to come up there if it helps find Sally and helps the case."

"How soon?"

"Well, I can leave now."

"We'll see you when you get here."

As soon as they have Sally and her charges inside the Hoover building and safe, Sully pulled Booth aside and filled him in on the phone conversation. After they got Mary Joe and John as comfortable as they could, Sally joined Booth and Sully in Booth's office.

"Sally I got a call from the sheriff on out way here. He knows you are missing, he hasn't said anything about Mary Joe or John. He said that he thinks Sanders if covering something up. Sally, right now this doesn't look good for anyone down there; I don't know who to trust and who not to trust."

"To be honest neither do I anymore."

"Sally why was Sanders able to keep his job after you left." Booth asked her

"I couldn't prove anything, it came down to a he said/she said and they said I was in shock from the trauma and blood loss. And he had some bigwig relative in his corner pulling some strings."

"Do you know who this relative was?"

"No"

"You know Sally; it was awful coincidental that you called me right before we were starting to wonder about what was going on down there. Time was pretty amazing actually." Booth eyed her.

"Agent Booth if I was sitting in your shoes, I wouldn't trust me either. Something is very wrong and the only reason I trust you two is because you are not from there and I checked you both out pretty thoroughly. You haven't had that luxury with me, you were forced to trust me to get Dr. Brennan back, and other than that you don't know that I am not out for my own cut of the hypothetical pie." She looked back and forth between Sully and Booth "Do what you need to, check me out, lock me up, or put me in a rubber room. But, in the mean time take care of Mary Joe and John."


	25. Chapter 25

"Sully what do you think?"

Sully leaned back and continued his scrutiny of Sally. "My gut is telling me it is Sanders."

"Me too. Okay lets get her, Mary Joe and John to the guest house. I will call Hodgins and let him know."

"Guest House?" Sally inquired.

"Dr. Hodgins has an estate and there is a guest house on it, very secure and no one would think to look there. I be right back going to call Hodgins and let him know. Sully we need to make sure no one sees us take them there outside of Perotta."

"You got it Booth."

"Wait, you are going to lock me up in a guest house?" Sally looked at them.

Booth leaned over the table, "Yes … we are. I need someone that can protect Mary Joe and John if something goes wrong, Sully and I can't be there all the time. They know you, they trust you, so YOU will protect them."

She nodded her head, "Okay."

30 minutes later they were walking through the doors of the guest house. Booth and Sully made sure everything was secure. They helped the new occupants get acquainted with their surroundings and showed them how to operate the TV's.

As they were getting ready to leave Sally stopped them. "If there is anything I can do let me know."

Sully looked at her, "Just keep them safe, I will be back tomorrow to talk with them and see if we can figure this out."

As Booth and Sully drove back to the Hoover they discussed what they knew about this case. "I feel like we are grasping at straws. I have had cases that are a can of worms, but this."

"Well, I need to work this and you need to just take care of Tempe. Not knowing if that department is involved or not you need to stay close to her. If they are involved and Hacker is still pulling strings, she could still be in danger."

"Sullivan" Sully answered his phone … "Sheriff, I am on my back there right now, should be there in 5 minutes … Yes, See you then … The Sheriff is at Hoover. You going back with me?"

"No, I need to get Bones and get her home. With these people here and like you said not knowing ... Every time we think it is about over, something else happens. I need to stay with her." He rubbed his hand over his forehead.

Booth took a deep breath before he walked into the Jeffersonian, "Hey Baby, You ready to go home?" She smiled as she got up from her desk and slipped off her lab coat.

As they left the Jeffersonian Brennan noticed Booth's behavior was different, not as relaxed as he normally was. "Booth, what's wrong?"

"Nothing …" She sighed and stopped turning to look at him. "Bones, what are you doing? Come on let's go, get to the car and let's get home." He hand rather than resting in the small of her back latched onto her arm near her elbow and pulled her along to the car rather unceremoniously.

"Booth" she pulled her arm away just as they got to the SUV.

"Bones, please, I will tell you when we get home, but right now I need you to get in the car." She stared at him while he opened the door and he was looking around, when she didn't move his eyes moved to her face. "Bones, please" she climbed into the SUV latched her seatbelt.

Once he was in the car and they were on the road home, she turned her head towards him and watched his profile. "What?"

"Really Booth, you are going to lie to me again?"

"Lying, who is lying?"

"You are. There is something on your mind and you are not telling me."

"Whoa, whoa there Bones, I am not lying, I am just not giving you all the information. That is not lying."

"So you admit you are not telling me something." Booth groaned when he realized she had just got him to admit there was something bothering him.

"Dammit Bones. I will tell you when we get back home; right now I just want to get there. Okay?" His eyes bore into her telling her the conversation was done for now.

"Okay"

* * *

><p>Sheriff's interview didn't shed any light on anything. But it did allow Sully to spend time with the Sheriff and realized he had a genuine concern for Sally. Sully asked the sheriff to not let anyone know he had talked to him and definitely did not want Sanders to know that Sally was in DC. The Sheriff shocked Sully by informing him that he believed Sanders already knew where Sally was. He said he had been told that Sally left the area with Mary Joe and John heading towards DC.<p>

"Sheriff, I understand that Sanders apparently has some relative in a high position that helped him keep his job?"

"Yeah"

"And who is this person?"

"That I can't tell you, I don't know. They only dealt with the commissioners and I don't have a name."

"Do you think you could talk to the commissioners and get a name? It might be important."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks for your help" Sully walked him to the door and before letting him leave he let the Sheriff know that Sally was okay and she had been in contact with him. He could see the Sheriff visibly relax when given that information.

Sully's interview with Mary Joe and John revealed some very twisted information. The original owners of the property were Mary Joe's aunt and uncle, Sarah and Patrick McNeal. As they had aged Mary Joe and John had moved into the smaller house on the property to look after them.

When they got more fragile with age they were moved to a retirement home where they could get the care they needed. The property was rented out to the couple that turned out to have worked in drug trafficking. After that they didn't rent the property out again.

Mary Joe and John got word that her aunt and uncle passed away and that the property had been left to a cousin they never heard of. Sarah and Patrick's only child had died at the age of 24 in a motorcycle accident. Sarah and Patrick cut ties with their family after their son died, all but Mary Joe, who was having a hard time just paying the bills. Sarah and Patrick were there when Mary Joe had her miscarriage and was told she could never have children again.

Mary Joe had told Sully that a lawyer had come by with the paper work and offered Mary Joe and John to stay on as caretakers of the property since the new owner would only visit periodically. She said after the renters, they never saw anyone until the day the attorney that visited them showed up with a woman. They never got a chance to talk to the lawyer and why he was there when Sally came and escorted them off the property.

Sully now knew how Hacker came to go to that property. He had the name of the original owners and that he apparently posed as an attorney. Now to find out if Sarah and Patrick were still alive and where they were and how Sanders fit into all this if the did.

* * *

><p>"Sally, Booth has doubts about what happened out there. He is probably going to ask you."<p>

"I can only tell him what I saw and that is exactly what I put in my report. I will not lie and I didn't. I listed only facts, so why don't you clue me in."

"He is a good man." Sally stared at him for a long time. "Dammit Sally, He didn't do anything wrong, Hacker had everything coming to him and I will not stand by and let that son of a bitch take anything from Booth." Sally still hadn't said a word she just watched Sully with an unreadable expression on her face. "Say something … anything."

"His father beat his mother didn't he?" Sully looked at her surprised, "He is afraid he is his father and he is afraid he will hurt her." Sully looked down at the ground and nodded slowly. "What do you think?"

"Not many people know about his past, how did you find out?"

"I see it in him."

"See what?"

"I see a cloud, a dark cloud and I saw the way he looked at her, that day. I saw the recognition come across his face as we watched her in that bathroom window. He had seen that before on someone close to him."

"Booth would never hurt Tempe, he is not his father, but he is scared that he is. If he finds out he will turn in his badge and gun and that would be a mistake."

"So what do you want from me?"

"I … I" he takes in a deep breath and releases is slowly, "I don't know."

"I won't lie Sully, but anything that happened before I came around the corner I can't comment on and I trust you, I trust what you said you saw." She smiled at him.

He looked at her and then looked down at the floor. "Thanks Sally."

* * *

><p>As soon as Brennan crossed the threshold of her home she turned to face Booth barely giving him enough room to get through the door and close it.<p>

"Explain" she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Geez Bones, let's take our coats off and change out of our work cloths."

"Explain while we are doing all that."

He sighed heavily and began to fill her in on what he and Sully had found out and what new questions and concerns that brought up in the process. He watched her face change as he talked, changed to defeat and helplessness. This is one of those times he missed the other Bones, the Bones that this information would have the opposite affect on. Rather than defeat and helplessness the other Bones would become more determined to put the person responsible behind bars.

"Bones, you okay?"

She sat down on the couch, closed her eyes, and rubbed her hands over her face. "So what now, we go back to the guest house?"

"Well no, Sally is there with Mary Joe and John. But, …"

"But what?"

"We do have some options." She didn't ask, she just waited for him to tell her what they were. "We can stay here, we can go to a safe house, or we can go stay at Hodgins."

"If we stay here or go to a safe house, we will not be allowed to go outside right?"

"Right"

"But, if we go to Hodgins, we could go outside on the estate?"

"Most likely yes, that depends on if there are others involved that could put you in danger."

She turned her head down; she looked like she was staring at her hands resting in her lap. Booth watched her for a long time before he spoke, "Baby?" No answer, he scooted closer to her, "Bones?" Still she didn't move or respond to him. He scooted next to her and put his arms around her and she collapsed against him and softly sobbed. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I am here. Everything will be okay."

"You don't know that Booth. This needs to stop. I want to see Hacker."

"Bones … NO!"

"He is the only one that has the answers right now and I can't …"

"Stop" he grabbed her by her upper arms and forced her to look at him. "No, you will not let him win. You go there like this and he wins, you would not let him win."

"I don't care if he wins, I want a life back, preferably my life, but right now any life would suit me."

He leaned his forehead to hers, "Baby just give me and Sully a little more time, we will solve this. I just need you to believe in us and give us a little more time." She stared into his eyes and opened and closed her mouth to protest and couldn't. She needed to believe in him, have faith in him and know he would make this all right.

When Brennan went back to take a shower, Booth flipped out his cell and called Sully.

"We need to end this and soon, I don't know how much more she can take."

"You got any idea's how to figure this mess out, I am more than open to them."

"Tomorrow, get Perotta and meet me at the guest house. You, me, Perotta and Sally are sitting down going to try to connect the dots. I am sure Angela would be more than happy to entertain Mary Joe and John while we work."

"Okay Booth, see you there." Booth closed his phone and walked over to the window. His jaw set as he stared out over the city. "This had to end now."


	26. Chapter 26

"Booth I have class today."

"No … you … don't."

"Yes … I … do." She emphasized her statement with her hands on her hips. "I am not doing so well in class and I need to go."

"I don't really care if 'The Great' Dr. Brennan is having problems in her classes or not, you are going out to the estate with me, where I can keep an eye on you." His glare bore into her. "I thought this was over, but apparently it isn't and until it is we are back to me protecting you and you … l-letting me."

Her eyes flashed, "The great Dr. Brennan?" she started to walk towards him, he stepped back.

"Bones."

"The Great Dr. Brennan, what the hell is that suppose to mean." Her voice was gaining volume "Are you making fun of me, making fun that I can't remember? Or are you jealous that I am **THE GREAT** Dr. Brennan."

She was still walking forward and he was backing up from her out of their bedroom, "Bones, you know I didn't mean it like that, I just sometimes … you know …"

"Stick your foot in your mouth?"

"Well, yeah. I'm sorry Baby, I want this over, and I thought it was over. I don't like to have to force you … I want our lives back too and for me to concentrate on doing that I need to know you are safe. If you spend the day at the estate with Ange, I will know you are safe." He stopped backing up from her, she stopped advancing on him.

Her shoulders dropped and she nodded her head slightly. "You're right"

"Watch it there Bones, I could get use to this."

"Use to what?"

"You telling me I am right." He ducked as a piece of plastic fruit came sailing across the room at his head. He laughed as he ran for their room tossing "I love you, babe" over his shoulder.

Brennan walked into her bathroom and dug under the sink for the stick she shoved back there because Booth was too impatient to get into the bathroom for her to wait the 3 minutes. She closed her eyes as she looked at the stick_. __'not pregnant'_ the words were clear. She placed the stick back in its hiding spot; she would throw it away later when she was alone.

She looked up in the mirror while she washed her hands, part of her was disappointed. She had hoped she was pregnant, but the other half of her was relieved. With everything going on and her with amnesia it was best she wasn't pregnant. If she, no when she got pregnant she wanted all this mess behind them, she wanted nothing to distract them from it.

* * *

><p>Once out at Angela's she became acquainted to Mary Joe and John. They were nice people and were easy to like, however, Brennan had sort of hoped that it would just be her and Angela today.<p>

While Angela was caught up in a conversation with Mary Joe, Brennan walked into the study and sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs and proceeded to look out the window. As she sat there looking out at the green grass and the leaves fluttering in the breeze a thought came to her. What if the connection was not in the limbo box she had been looking at, but the next one? What if that is what they meant by her being too close?

She quickly rejoined Angela and Mary Joe. Hodgins and John were off in another area of the house talking bugs or something like that. "Angela, what if it wasn't that limbo box, what if …"

"Sweetie, I am sure Booth or someone has thought of that. Let's not talk about that, look what Mary Joe is teaching me." She held up a radish that looked like a flower.

Brennan simple nodded "That is nice, but I think … never mind honey you have fun." Angela grinned and went back to designing her radish.

Brennan slipped back out of the room and walked to the window and looked down towards the guest house. She went out the back doors and headed for the guest house, Booth would listen, and he would know what to do.

As she entered crossed the patio Booth saw her and met her at the doors. "Hey"

"Booth, what if it wasn't that limbo box. What if it was the next one I was going to be working on? What if that is what they thought getting to close was?"

"Oh my god why didn't we think of that? I will call Cam right now and have her check into it."

"Can't we just go down there?"

"Bones" he looked over his shoulder "Not now, we can later, but right now we need to start to put the pieces together."

"If I am right, isn't that a pretty big piece?"

"Babe, it is only a piece. We can get the larger part of the picture drawn if one of us, me, is not missing." He kissed her, "I love you and we will go check out the next limbo box."

"Did you have my office checked for bugs."

"We didn't find any at the apartments."

"They could have removed them or there were none there to begin with Booth. That doesn't mean there isn't any in our offices."

"This has taken a toll on you; you are starting to act like Hodgins."

"Booth I am serious."

He slid his hand down her cheek. "I know you are. Go back up to Ange's and we will go down to your office later."

He kissed her again and went back into the guest house. She watched him go back to his seat and as he sat down her looked up at her and smiled. She looked away and turned heading in the direction of the main house.

She passed through the house, collected her purse from the side table in the hall, a set of keys that were hanging on a key ring and headed out the front door. She made her way to the garage and picked out Jack's Mercedes to drive and left the estate behind as she headed to the Jeffersonian.

* * *

><p>With a large eraser board propped up against the fireplace. The facts of the case started to come to life.<p>

**Hacker was behind the attack on Dr. Brennan**

**He used a closed case of theirs to try to throw suspicion off himHe kidnapped and tortured Dr. Brennan**

Now for the can of worms

**Charlie and Styers believed they were working for the Romano Family**

**He used his FBI clout to tamper with Dr Brennan's computer and to find out intimate details about Booth and Brennan**

"Oh my God" Booth exclaimed. The others just turned their heads and looked at him. "She's right."

"Who's right Booth?"

"Bones, she said that her office was/is bugged. If he got to her computer, he had to know her passwords, he was watching her. If he had her passwords he could log on remotely. We know that Styers was the guard at her apartment building and the email was sent from there. So it had to be Charlie that set up the bug, no one else would step foot in her office. Sully we need to get someone in there to check her office before she goes back to work."

"Not sure what it matters now, Hacker is behind bars."

"I would just feel better to have it cleared. Peace of mind."

"Okay, we will do it first thing in the morning."

* * *

><p>Sally's phone rang and she looked down at it and then at Booth and Sully. "Sanders"<p>

"Hello" she turned the speaker on.

"Hey McClure. What are you all up to?"

"Sanders how the hell did you get my number and why are you calling.

"Come on Sally, we country folk stick together" he was using his overdone southern drawl.

"Maybe we country folk do, but you ain't one of them. What the hell do you want?"

"Sally, just leave things alone."

"Leave what alone?"

"Keep your nose out of others people's business. Where the fuck did you hide Mary Joe and John?"

"You think I am going to tell you?"

"Listen to me bitch, your days are numbered."

"Bring it on asshole."

He started chuckling. "Nice Mercedes Dr. Brennan drives." He disconnected the call.

Booth looked at Sully, "Bones doesn't drive a Mercedes." Booth bolted to his feet and grabbed his phone, pushing the speed dial for her phone. "She isn't answering her damn phone." He pushed the button for Angela's phone.

"Hey Booth"

"Is she with you?"

"Is who, Brennan?"

"Who do you think?" the irritation in Booth's voice was obvious

"I think she is in the study."

"Check NOW"

"Okay, Okay, Mr. Bossy."

"Angela we just had someone say she was driving a Mercedes, sorry if I am bossy, now CHECK!"

"Booth, her purse is gone and so are the keys to Jacks Mercedes."

"SON OF A BITCH That woman is going to be the death of me. Sully she left. Perotta check my apartment, Sully check hers, I am heading to the Jeffersonian. Sally stay here and be careful." As they all ran for their cars Booth turned to Sully, "Can you call Hodgins and have him lock all of them inside, just incase this little prick finds out where they are."

"You got it Booth."

Booth continually tried Bones' phone only to get her voice Mail. He left one message

_"Bones call me back now. This is not a game we are playing, this is not listen to_  
><em>Booth when you damn well feel like it. This is life and death baby, your life."<em>

* * *

><p>Brennan pulled into the Jeffersonian. She was rather proud of herself, she had drive around making sure she wasn't followed. However, she was not really sure why she did that as she was in a car that wasn't hers. But she did it anyway and felt good about it. She walked into her office and sat down pulling up information on the limbo box next in line to be examined.<p>

She started by trying to cross reference the facts that were known in the limbo box with other items in their databases. As she started to progress, the known facts were casting striking similarities to the Lakely Hills homicide that had been mentioned. How did she know there were similarities? "Come on Tempe remember," she said to herself.

Staring at her computer screen she was looking at jibberish, however, at the same time she would get flashes that made the jibberish almost factual. So she keep staring, kept trying to sink deeper and deeper into her mind to find the answers.

"Dr. Brennan" she startled, she did not expect anyone to be there.

"Hello, do I know you?" she stared at the young man standing in her doorway.

"No ma'am, I have not had the pleasure before today. Deputy Sanders. I am up here to help Sally and wouldn't you know it I lost the address she gave me of where she was and seems her phone might be off. She told me if I had any problems I could stop by the FBI office and contact Agents umm Sullivan or Bo –Bluth, no no …"

"Booth"

"Yes ma'am, that is the name. But neither of them were there and I remember her saying you worked here, so I thought I would give it a shot."

"Do you happen to know where she is?"

"You, I know you."

"Ma'am we have never …"

"It was you. The same but different, Oh my god it wasn't Michael it was YOU!"

"Too bad you remember that Dr. Brennan, I didn't want it to come to this."

Her cell rang and she managed to hit the button before he got to her. "Let me go and I won't hurt you."

"Dr. Brennan, seriously you are a woman, you really think you could … oooofff"

Booth could hear a scuffle on the other end of the phone, he grabbed his radio letting Sully and Perotta know to head for the Jeffersonian.

"You fucking Bitch." Booth heard him say

"Bones can you hear me?" Sanders head jerked towards the phone when he heard Booth's voice.

"Better stay close to lover boy Dr. Brennan, this isn't over." He took off out of her office and out the door leading to the gardens.

"Booth, he left towards the gardens."

"Don't you move from your office, understand!" he growled at her

* * *

><p>Booth, Sully, and Perotta converged on The Jeffersonian from different directions and Sanders still got away, Sully flipped open his phone and called Sally as the three of them walking into the Jeffersonian.<p>

"Sally, I think you should move up to the main house with the rest of them. Sanders was at The Jeffersonian and if he finds you … I know … I am not … Sally … would you just listen …" He looked at Booth and blew out some air in frustration. His hand went to his hip as if that would help him make a point to her. "I didn't mean … yes I am sure you … I never said that … Well then stop paraphrasing." his voice went up an octave. If Booth wouldn't have been so angry with Bones, he would have been amused at this one sided conversation. Booth left Sully to his battle of wits with Sally and headed with purpose towards Brennan's office.

When he cleared the door way she was sitting at her desk staring at her computer screen as if nothing had happened.

"What did I tell you this morning?" Booth stood in the door way of her office hands jammed in his pockets.

"For you to solve this case, you needed to know I was safe."

"So what part of that didn't you understand?" He stepped into her office and shut the door.

"I understood all of it."

"So you just chose to ignore it, because it didn't fit in with your plans for the day!"

"You didn't listen to me and I was right it wasn't that limbo box, it was this one." She was pointing at the computer screen.

"Would you NOT change the subject? You left after I gave you some pretty good reasons and clear instructions not to." He turned her around in her chair "I thought at least this side of you would realize how important your safety is."

"This side of me? You think I am not able to make decisions for myself? You think I am just some imbecile that you have to protect?"

"Don't even start that with me, you know perfectly well what we are talking about. Your lack of respect for the job I am doing and the fact that part of that job is protecting you."

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and I was doing just fine until he heard your voice over the phone."

"What do you mean doing perfectly fine?"

"Booth, I do know several forms of martial arts. I also know pressure points of the body that can cause a person a considerable amount of pain, while not leaving any permanent damage." She stood coming nose to nose with him. "I am also well aware of your Alpha male tendencies and your need to put them on display to show off how good of a prospect you would be for mating. It is not something …"

"I got it" He rubbed his hand through his hair and walked over in front of her couch. "How much do you remember exactly?" He was sure she got her memory back, he could tell by her body language, not to mention the way she just took his ego and was working on flattening it when he stopped her.

"All of it"

"All of it as in?" he turned and looked at her for several moments. "You know what, never mind, we can't get into this right now. We have a case to solve." He walked pass her and out of her office.

"Booth" she followed him, but stopped at her door as she watched him square his shoulders and head over to where Sully and Perotta were. She had seen the hurt in his eyes, but he was done talking for now. She stood and watched him; he kept his back to her. "I do remember it all Booth," she whispered to herself. She turned and walked back into her office.

* * *

><p>30 minutes later Booth came into her office and announced it was time to go. "Where are we going?" she asked.<p>

"You will see." He grabbed her purse and coat and ushered her out to his waiting SUV. They drove in silence finally arriving at the Hoover building. Sully was close behind with Perotta.

"You know Sully, Dr. Brennan is not going to like this."

"I am well aware of that and when she gets out, if I were you be as far away as possible, that is what I am going to do."

"How long do you think it will take her to cool off after?"

"Maybe a year or two." He chuckled as they pulled in and parked next to Booth SUV. "I can tell you I won't envy Booth; she is going to so make him pay for this."

"Booth what are we doing at Hoover."

"We need to do something before we head back out to the estate."

"I can wait in the car."

"No, I am not letting you out of my sight. You can't be trusted."

"I am extremely trustworthy, you know that Booth."

"Bones, You are going in with me like it or not."

As they got inside near the holding cells Sweets greeted them and had a man with him Brennan didn't recognize. "Oh Hello Sweets, How are you and why are you here?"

"I am fine Dr. Brennan, This is Dr. Switzer. He is here to give you a sedative."

"What?"

"Bones, I need to know you are safe and you …"

"You don't trust me Booth?" The hurt in her eyes spoke volumes and all he wanted to do was to hug that hurt away. But he had to do this for her own good.

"With my life … but not with yours."

"I am leaving."

"No Bones, you aren't." He grabbed her upper arm and stepped in front of her.

"Booth if you want to keep that hand I would remove it from my arm."

"No, I love you and I am not going to let you kill yourself just because you have to try to prove a point. You're right, I am the Alpha male, you are the love of my life and if I have to flex some Alpha male muscle to keep you safe then I will do it." As the doctor gave her the shot in her arm, Booth watched the drug take affect. "I am so sorry baby, but you forced my hand. I hope you forgive …" She collapsed in his arms. He gently kissed her cheek as he carried her into a holding cell and placed her on the cot.

"Okay let's go get this bastard." Booth lead the way back outside to their vehicles.


	27. Chapter 27

Sally was going over case information in the guest house when her phone rang. She picked it up looking at the caller ID and considering not answering it.

"Hello"

"Hey, I am sorry about earlier."

"Me too."

"We need to bait Sanders."

"What is the bait?"

"You."

"What do I need to do?"

"I am on my way to get you while Booth and Perotta set up. I will explain the rest when we are on our way. While you wait, look up Montrose Park on Google Earth, it should give you an idea of what terrain you are dealing with."

"Okay, will see you when you get here." Sally disconnected the call and pulled up Montrose Park. She was very familiar with this park; it had been a favorite place when she had been in DC.

She studied the aerial view, looked like it was still the same as she remember, but she could get a better look when she got there and sought out some cover. Finally this was coming to an end, it had consumed so much of her life and when Dr. Brennan had been kidnapped everything blew wide open. How had she not seen it? How did it escape her until that day when she came face to face with Hacker?

She knew she needed to tell Sully. She closed her eyes as she thought what she had been told. _"Need to know McClure, need to know."_ She tried to steer them in the right direction to find out her secret, however, they didn't bite. She thought at least Booth would, she thought he would take the time to check her out. They need to know who she is, what she is doing and why before someone else gets killed.

Sully came in while she was staring at the laptop. "Hey"

"Hey … Sully"

"You ready?"

"No, there are some things you need to know before we go out there."

"Okay, give me just a second. I just need to make this phone call." He stood studying her face, seeing a range of emotion slip over it. "Angela, it is Sully" he never took his eyes off Sally "You will be getting a 3D model of a skull over the computer, do you think you can try to put a face to it. I know not the norm, but if you can try … Thanks, call me or Booth when you get it." He turned his attention back to Sally, "Okay what do I need to know." He straightened his body and squared off waiting for the blow."

She took a deep breath, "I am not who you think I am. Hacker is not who you think he is."

"Okay so suppose you tell me just who you are, to start."

She proceeded to tell him who she was, why she couldn't tell him before, and how the need to know sucked. Sully had conflicting feelings, part of him angry, part of him relieved, but some feelings were betrayal. Betrayal that she didn't trust him enough to tell him, betrayal that she was not who he thought she was. He had to sit down while she talked.

She sat next to him slightly turned towards him, "Sully, I wanted to tell you from day one, but my orders were need to know, you and Booth didn't need to know. They didn't feel the connection was strong enough to jeopardize my operation. I already overstepped my bounds when I helped you get Dr. Brennan back."

"Does the Sheriff know who you are?"

"No, he thought I was a really good rookie cop. What is real is that night, the night Sanders left me there to die. I swore he would pay for that night and I have been working since trying to find enough evidence to put him away."

"You realize Booth has to know about this before you walk into that park?"

"Yeah I know."

He grabbed his phone, as she watched his eyes came to hers and she could see annoyance wavering on anger flowing in his rich brown eyes.

"Booth, we need to talk before we do this. Ms. McClure has been keeping secrets. You know the Starbucks down off Wisconsin St., meet us there. I will let the 'lady' do the honors of giving you the details." He flipped his phone closed "Let's go."

* * *

><p>As they arrived in the parking lot of Starbucks, Booth and Perotta were already there. Booth could tell by the way Sully exited his vehicle, he was beyond agitated. Sally stepped out Sully's rig. Sully walked up next to her and held out his arm in an exaggerated move in Booth's direction, her cue to start talking.<p>

As she explained who she was and how she was under need to know orders and they didn't need to know, she watched Booth's face do what Sully's did, transform from annoyance to anger.

"You didn't feel that you being CIA was something we 'needed' to know?"

"It was not my choice; I was under orders, orders of my superior officer not to jeopardize my operation." Her voice, while she kept it low did not show any weakness., "I already overstepped my boundaries helping you get Dr. Brennan back, which worked out for the best for both cases."

Booth looked at Sully. "So what now? Do we go through with this?"

Sully stood and paced back and forth a couple of times. "What about Hacker, you said Hacker wasn't who we thought."

"I wasn't sure until I came face to face with him that day, but after being that close I was sure."

"Jesus Christ spit it out. You were sure of WHAT?"

"His real name is Hacker, but not Andrew Hacker." Sully's face had confusion flashing across it. "He is Theodore Hacker aka: Lance Carponia, Attorney at Law, Attorney for the Romano family."

"A twin?"

"An identical twin."

"So where is the real Hacker?"

"Probably in a shallow grave somewhere."

"And Sanders?"

"Theodore's son."

"Charlie and Styers?"

"They were pawns to throw to throw Booth off the best I can figure. Get him out of the way so he could have Dr. Brennan, and when it didn't work as planned he kidnapped her."

"Ms McClure or Agent McClure what made you come clean now? I mean if you are still under orders aren't you violating policy by telling us now. Why the change of heart?" Booths temper was overflowing.

She squared off with Booth, nose to nose. "Look jackass, I gave you the opportunity to find out who I was. I told you to check me out and neither of you did, did you?" Booth and Sully looked back and forth between each other, they hadn't checked her out. "So don't go all self righteous on me about protecting my case. Doing the same as both of you would have done. I wasn't willing to let the Lone Ranger and his side kick Tonto come in and screw up a case I had been working years on, a case that almost cost me my life. Right now we don't have much of a choice. Sanders wants me dead, he will show up here because of me, not for either of you." She readjusted her stance, "unless of course you want to use Dr. Brennan as bait." She refused to break eye contact first from Booth.

* * *

><p>Brennan started to come around; as her eyes fluttered opened she glanced around the holding cell she was in. As the fog cleared from her mind, she remembered why she was here and her anger rose.<p>

As she sat up she noticed the Sweets sitting outside the cell reading. "Ah Dr. Brennan, Is there anything I can get you?"

"Get me out of here."

"Sorry, can't do that. Booth was pretty clear that you don't get out until he comes back for you."

"So I am a prisoner?"

"Well no."

"Then I am kidnapped."

"No, you were not kidnapped."

"I am being held against my will, what would you call it?"

"Protective custody." She glared at him and turned back towards the cot

"Dr. Brennan would you like to talk or I could get you something to read, or … or food, if you are hungry?"

"The only thing I want from you is to let me out of here."

"Dr. Brennan you know I can't do that."

"Can't or won't?"

"Fine won't. I have to agree with Agent Booth, you tend to 'not' take your safety seriously."

"Since you feel that way, I have nothing further to say to you."

"That is pretty childish Dr. Brennan."

"And what do you call locking up your girlfriend so you can go play Superman?"

"Dr. Brennan he loves you and if something happened to you, you know he would blame himself for the rest of his life whether he could have prevented it or not. You claim to love him, but all your actions counter your words."

"I don't understand what you mean."

"You love him, but you intentionally cause him to worry, to stress over your safety by refusing to listen to him."

"I am perfectly …"

"Yes Dr. Brennan, we all know. You are capable of taking care of yourself and where did that get you? Kidnapped, tortured, and if not for Ms McClure seeing you and getting involved, possibly raped ... maybe even killed. Do you have any clue what Booth went through; have you even tried to see it from his side? Right now what I see is a very strong willed woman that can't see the bigger picture."

"I would never hurt Booth intentionally."

"Really, what did you do this morning when he didn't do as you wanted when you wanted?"

"I just wanted to help and …" she looked at Sweets, tears threatening to spill over "I left after he had told me we could go later."

"Exactly"

"But, I didn't see any harm …"

"Dr. Brennan that is the problem, you don't **see**, you don't have that in your make up. Booth does, you need to concede that and listen to him." She went over and sat on the cot, staring down at the floor thinking about what Sweets had just said.

* * *

><p>Sully stepped between Sally and Booth and pushed them apart. "This isn't going to get this case done. You two need to call a truce till this is over."<p>

Booth glared at her as he answered Sully, "Fine, but you do as you are told, this is my operation, this is my town and I will not have you going off half cocked."

She glared right back at Booth, "Fine." She turned her eyes towards Sully, "Thank you Sully."

Sully looked at her annoyed, "Don't thank me, when this is over you and I are having this out."

Perotta stepped in, "Okay boys and girls, what's the plan?" This pulled Booth back to the here and now and the need to get this case tied up so he could try to repair what he broke this afternoon when he had Brennan sedated.

"Simple, Sally calls Sanders and lures him in." Booth said

"You think he will come for her?"

"Oh yeah, things are coming apart around him. Bones recognizing him, his father in jail, yeah his world is coming to an end. Between her and Bones, two women are the catalyst that started his world's downward spiral and he will want revenge." Sully looked at her, "Just don't shoot him before you get him to talk."

"Can't promise that, he left me to die remember?"

"We will have you covered, so try to control yourself." Booth glared at her

She opened her cell and dialed his number

"McClure, what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I hear Dr. Brennan slipped through you fingers?"

"Not for long. Agent Booth can't be around her 24 hours a day."

"Are you really that dumb? Do you think he is going to let her out of his sight until you are behind bars or 6 feet under?"

"From what I have seen, she tends to do as she pleases when she pleases, so I just have to have patience."

"She is safe and you will never find her now. But see, I know the truth now. I know about Hacker. I know who you are and I will find you and you will pay for the deaths of our partners, you will pay for your involvement in all of this. I won't go away, I won't back down, your world is crashing down around you and I will be there."

"Fuck you Bitch."

"Ohhh foreplay, you are turning me on. Got anything else Big boy."

Sully whispered, "Booth said lure him in, not emasculate him." She raised her eyebrows at Sully as if to say, you work your way, I work mine.

"Your days are numbered."

"Why don't we end this now, you and me? Meet me at Montrose Park in 30 minutes, unless of course you are afraid a lil ole woman might hurt you." She disconnected the call

Booth and Sully looked at her. "Is he coming?" Booth demanded

"Oh he will be here."

"You sure?"

"Look I have worked him for years; I just pissed him off so bad he is seeing red, a woman challenging a man, God forbid. We need to get into place, he is seeing red and might not be 100%, but he will look for you guys, if he sees either of you" she pointed at Booth and Sully, "he will back off. But, if he doesn't, even if he knows you will be around he will take that chance. He will take the chance that he can get in there and kill me and get out before you can get to him. Honestly his world is coming down, he doesn't have much to lose and if he can take me with him, all the better in his eyes."

Once they were set up Booth called Sweets. "How is she?"

"She is doing okay. I gave her some things to think about and I think she is doing just that?"

"So you think she will forgive me?"

"Honestly Agent Booth, I don't know. But, I gave her facts and she is processing with them."

"Will you see if she will talk to me for a second?"

"Dr. Brennan … It is Agent Booth, would you like to talk to him?"

She looked up at Sweets and slowly rose from her cot and walked towards him. "Agent Booth she is coming to the phone, I think this is a good sign."

She slowly took the phone from Sweets put it up to her ear, her eyes never left Sweets', she was talking through clenched teeth. "How could you do this?"

"Babe ..."

"If we don't have trust, we can't have a relationship. You obviously don't trust me and I don't know if I can trust you again."

"Bones … you left against my instruc …"

"We are done Booth."

"Bones, I-I …" he heard a click "Bones … Bones" He pulled the phone away from his ear. She did it again, she hung up on him. He took a deep breath, at least she was safe. She might hate him but she was safe.

"**DR. BRENNAN!**" Sweets yelled out. "I thought you understood why he did what he did?"

"I do, he doesn't trust me."

"Dr. Brennan I think you are over reacting to this. There is a fine line here that has to be walked and I think you just tromped all over it."

"I understand that my boyfriend drugged me and locked me in a cell and justifies it by saying he is keeping me safe. Now how is that different than what Hacker did to me?"

"Seriously … Seriously you are going to compare Agent Booth to Hacker?" Sweets just shook his head "How can you do that, you know Agent Booth, you know he would never …"

"Never kidnap and hold someone against their will." Sweets didn't know what to say, he just stared at her.

Sweets tried a different approach, "Dr. Brennan if you had a child and that child continually brushed off your warnings of a dangerous place and they kept going there what would you do?"

"You are now comparing me to a child."

"No, I am trying to make a point. Okay, okay we will use your brother."

"I am sure my brother is capable of making a decision regarding his safety…"

"Hypothetically" Sweets emphasized "if he made a decision that you knew could lead him to be severely hurt or killed, what would you do?

"I would sit him down and give him the facts. My brother while not as intelligent as myself is smart enough to make an appropriate decision based on the facts."

"Okay, Hypothetically, what if he made a decision that would cause you not to be able to do your job at the high level you require of yourself?"

"Again, I would present him with the facts."

"What if he walked all over your crime scene, which could possible taint the evidence?"

"Sweets, that is just silly. My brother would never …"

"Hypothetically."

"I would have him removed from the scene."

"By force?"

"If necessary."

"And if he came back?"

"I am sure Booth would not allow him back at our scene." Sweets stared at her. "I would have him restrained"

"In other words you would have him locked up, so to speak."

"Yes, because he would be interfering with our investigation." Sweets kept his eyes on her face waiting to see if the connection was made.

She looked up at his eyes, "I was not interfering."

"In a way you were by not listening to Booth. By not allowing him to keep you safe you were jeopardizing the case because he couldn't give it 100 % when he had to worry about you."

She crosses her arms, "He could have explained it to me."

"Explain it to you? I am explaining it to you now and you refuse to listen." Sweets looked down at his watch. That little bit right there took 20 minutes. I am sure Agent Booth has 20 minutes to explain every decision he makes with regards to you. Why can't you just give him this and trust his decision about your safety. That is part of his job; part of the agreement of working with the Jeffersonian is keeping you safe. Not to mention he loves you and every person, male or female, is protective of their mate, even you Dr. Brennan.


	28. Chapter 28

15 minutes after Sally donned the Kevlar vest and slipped on a jacket to conceal her shoulder holster she walked into the bull's-eye. All of her senses were working overtime. As usually there was not a multitude of activity in Montrose Park and the flow of people mostly occurred around the entrance. Sally made her way through the park heading back towards a statue near the tree line, away from the majority of people.

Booth, Sully, and Perotta were in position. Perotta was sitting on a bench reading a book. Booth was off in the tree line, blending into shadows, and Sully was at the entrance watching.

Sally leaned against the statue keeping her eyes moving around her, the only area she couldn't cover was covered by Booth. Now all they could do was wait; wait for Sanders to take the bait and make his move to kill her.

While she waited she talked quietly knowing that all 3 agents had ear buds and could hear her. If anything goes wrong, there is a file on the coffee table with all my notes showing how I pieced this together, what I knew and how I came to know it. If anything happens nail this bastard for my partner's murder.

"Booth" it was Sully's voice. "She isn't …"

"No … she is just being efficient." Booth also recognized the resign in her voice. She knew she probably wouldn't come out of this alive. But if it took her death to bring her partners murderers to justice, she was willing to give it.

Even with Booth's reassurance Sully still didn't feel any better. He shook himself, he needed to be on his "A" game. He just met this woman and he was not about to lose her, she was the first woman since Tempe that had the ability to challenge him. He smiled to himself, this was one challenge he wanted to take on more than anything.

"Look alive; he just walked through the main entrance. He is wearing a light blue polo shirt, tan jacket, and jeans. He has his right hand under his jacket. He is heading straight for the Tennis courts." Sully stayed back and kept out of sight while he trailed Sanders.

Sanders got to the Tennis courts he started to look around as if he suddenly remember that he might have picked up a tail. Sully stayed behind cover and Sanders gave no clue as to if he made Sully or not. Once he checked around he continued through the park towards the back as if he knew right where she would be.

"Booth, he is walking with purpose, my guess is he watched her walk in, he knows exactly where she is."

"Okay I see him walking got him in my sights if he moves wrong."

Sally raised her head when her eyes met Sanders eyes. He continued walking until he was about 25 feet from her. She drew her weapon and leveled it on him. "Sanders, give yourself up."

He scoffed at her, "Yeah right, give myself up to who? Or did you friends at the FBI tell you it was okay to say that."

"Agent McClure CIA, drop your weapon and put your hands behind your head."

"CIA? What the hell?"

"It's over Sanders, we know who you are, we know about your father. It was you that killed my partner and your own. It was you that tried to kill me. It is over."

"Everything was going well until she started getting to close."

"She? Dr. Brennan, what was she to close too."

"She was suppose to die too. Charlie stopped me from killing her. I was going back to finish her off, but my father went soft when it came to her. He wanted her; he wanted her for his own. One thing him and my uncle had in common was a weakness for her."

"What was she to close to?"

"She was about to find out our secret."

Booth's phone started to vibrate; he tapped his rifle barrel to answer it. "Booth" he whispered.

"Booth, Angela. Sully sent me a 3D on a skull to try to put a face too and I have tried this every which way from Sunday and I keep coming up with the same face."

"What face?"

"Hackers" Booth sat there for a moment, still watching McClure and Sanders. But no longer hearing. Bones was right again, that skull had been from the limbo box she had tried to point out to him earlier today. "Booth, are you there?"

"Yeah, Thanks Ange." He disconnected the call "Ange just called. The 3D Sully sent to her comes back with the face of Hacker."

Booth broke cover, "It is over Sanders, We have your uncles remains, You and your father killed him didn't you, so your father could be in a position to help the Romano family. Don't make this any harder on yourself."

Sanders turned and saw Sully coming up from behind him with Perotta not far to the side. He turned back and looked at Booth. "You can't take all of us Sanders." Booth yelled. Sanders turned his eyes towards Booth and then Sally. He started to move his gun towards her firing as he bought the gun to face her. Several shots ran out and Sanders fell to the ground motionless. Booth moved in with Perotta covering him, he kicked the gun away from his hand and checked for a pulse.

Booth backed away from the body and started to survey surrounding area. His eyes came to rest on Sally her gun still leveled, her face drained of color, her breathing was borderline hyperventilating. Sully was slowly approaching her talking to her. She turned her eyes towards Sully and started to lower her weapon when the adrenaline that was coursing through her veins caught up to her. Her gun rattled as she shook violently and tears broke free of her eyes.

Sully reached up and gently removed the gun from her hand before he put his arm around her. It was finally over, all those years of building a case to get justice for her dead partner. Maybe now the nightmares would end, the nightmares that transported her back to that night, the night she laid bullet riddled in her own blood, helpless to do anything as Sanders left her there to die. Her eyes remained fixated on Sanders lifeless body, "It's finally over Sully."

She started to tear her eyes away from Sanders body when she saw Booth go down to his knees and then over onto his side. Perotta screamed getting Sully's attention. All three converged on Booth and noticed the grown red stain on the left side of his body. Sully ordered Perotta to get an ambulance there now. "Booth, hold on." Sully found a shot through Booths arm that entered his chest just below his armpit, just above where the Kevlar vest protected him.

"Sully, tell her I am sorry, but I wanted her to be safe."

"You tell her yourself." Sully said as he was removing his own shirt to apply pressure to the wound.

"Tell her I love her."

"Booth, you listen to me, you are going to tell her. You are not letting this bastard win. YOU FIGHT. You fight to stay here with her, she needs you. You hear me, she needs you."

* * *

><p>Sweets answered his phone and Brennan watched him. She watched his face pale, his shoulders slump, and his legs appeared to be having a hard time holding him up. She swallowed hard as she felt her heart rate increase and her body started involuntarily shaking. She remembers this feeling, she had it one time before this, the night Booth was shot at the Karaoke club. The night she was led to believe that he died.<p>

She rose from the cot and walked over to the side of the cell trying to hear what was being said. Sweets turned and looked at her and hung up his phone saying nothing. He reached for the keys to her cell. "Dr. Brennan" he began refusing to look at her face as he unlocked the door. "Agent Booth has been shot."

She could have sworn at that very moment everything stopped existing. She couldn't breath, she couldn't see, her heart no longer had the will to continue to beat. The words echoed in her head "Agent Booth has been shot." The words she said to him vibrated in her mind "We are done". She doesn't know how long she stood there when she felt Sweets hand on her arm.

"Come on Dr. Brennan, I will drive you to the hospital."

She numbly walked beside him out to his vehicle. She was fighting to gain control of her emotions; she would be no good to Booth if she was not able to think clearly. She stared out the window of the car, barely hearing the siren, not seeing the scenery. Her emotions had not ruled her since she locked them away all those years ago when her parents left her. They couldn't rule her now, Booth needed her to be strong, he needed her to be her old self, he needed her to be strong and clinical and detached. No he didn't need that, she needed that. She needed that in case the worse … Her thoughts were broken as they pulled into the hospital.

As they walked into the waiting room Sully walked towards Brennan. "He's strong Tempe."

"Wha-What happened?"

"Not sure, Sanders was turning and firing, he got Booth. The bullet went through his arm and entered his chest just below his armpit and just above where the vest was."

"Can I see him?"

"They took him to surgery."

Sully put his arm around her and walked her over to some chairs, "I told him we were done," she mumbled. Sully pulled her into his chest and held her. "I didn't mean it, I was just … just angry."

"He knows you love him and I am sure he knows you didn't mean it."

She pulled back suddenly, "Sully they know he has problems with anesthesia right? They have to be told." She started to push against him to get free. "I need to make sure they know."

"They know Tempe, they know." She looked up into his face. "I know it is hard to just wait, but that is all we can do right now."

The whole Jeffersonian team and one CIA agent took over the waiting area outside of surgery. They all waited in silence for word on Booth's condition, while they were together, they sat separately lost in their own thoughts. Sully stayed close to Brennan, he could see her struggling. While her amnesia had given her a new outlook on life, love, and happiness, it came with a new obstacle. Her love for Booth would not be put in a box on a shelf any longer. She needed to learn how to incorporate it into her life.

Sally sat off in the corner by herself fighting her own demons. While relieved this was over, she felt empty. This had been so much a part of her for so long to have it over felt like something had been ripped from inside of her. She had felt the weight of this case for so long not have it there was alien and in all honesty it petrified her. She looked around the room at this group of people, while there was little interaction they were all there for each other, slight glances asking in silence if they were okay.

She watched Sully keep a vigil on Dr. Brennan, not invading her space, but close enough to give her strength. She had never had friends like these people. She had never let anyone get that close. Sully was the first person she had considered trustworthy enough to call a friend. She could see now she had gauged him right.


	29. Chapter 29

**Sorry for the short chapter, haven't had much time to write, but at least there is a little something until I can get back to the keyboard. **

* * *

><p>The doors to the surgery area came open. All eyes turned towards the doctor walking through them. Everyone in the waiting room stood up as the doctor approached Sully. Sully protectively put his arm around Brennan as the team, her friends, gathered around her in support. "Agent Sullivan" the doctor inquired.<p>

Sully nodded his reply then motioned to Brennan "This is his girlfriend, Dr. Brennan."

"Dr. Brennan, I am Dr. Hoffman. He is in recovery right now."

"Can I sit with him please?" Brennan's eyes begged the doctor.

"Dr. Brennan there's more." Dr. Hoffman gauged how to tell her what he had to. The bullet nicked an artery and there was quite a bit of bleeding into his chest cavity. While the volume of blood slowed the blood loss from the artery it also created a situation …"

"What are you telling me?" The look she gave him told him to stop beating around the bush with her.

"He went into Cardiac arrest as soon as we opened him up and the blood in the chest cavity was released."

"How long?"

"10 minutes … We won't know anything until he wakes up."

"Bren, what does that mean?" Angela stood next to her friend searching her face

"We won't know until he wakes up if there is any brain damage." She felt her legs give way as she leaned heavy into Sully. Tears involuntarily came to her eyes as she tried to regain some control of her emotional state.

Dr. Hoffman turned to go and Brennan drew on what energy she had left and she repeated, "May I sit with him?" She wiped the tears from her face as Dr. Hoffman turned back towards her and nodded. She turned towards the team, their family. Go home and rest, I will call you when we know anything.

Hodgins stepped up, "Dr. B, I am not leaving you here alone." One after the other, her unusual family all repeated those words to her bringing fresh tears to the rim of her eyes. She gave them a tight smile and assured them she would let them know as soon as there was any word. With that she turned and followed Dr. Hoffman towards Booth's room.

She stood in the doorway of Booths room feeling like someone had just taking a sledge hammer to her chest. She knew she loved him; she had always loved him, even when she denied love existed. The last time she went through him being shot, she believed he had died and this time he actually did die.

She slowly made her way to the chair next to his bed. She sat down and stared at his face, as if staring would will him to wake up. She also thought about the last moments they had been together, when he drugged her and locked her in a holding cell for her own protection. His words replayed in her head, "I love you but you forced my hand."

She started to shake her head at her own stupidity, Sweets was right; she should just have given Booth this. Her own stubbornness had put her and Booth in more than one dangerous position. Booth had never tried to take her independence away, he had never tried to change her all he ever did was ask her to let him take care of her safety.

She slowly slid her hand into his and let go of her emotions. She started to sob and lowered her forehead to his hand and mumbled into the bed "I am so sorry Booth. I didn't mean what I said; we are not done that is … if you still want me. I love you, I always have." She kind of chuckled, "I never believed in the kind of love you believed in. I didn't believe it could exist and you showed me it can and does. Please Booth be okay, don't leave me, I can't imagine going on without you."

She raised her head to look at his face; slowly she moved her forehead down onto his. "Wake up, please wake up. We need you." She looked into his face and placed a light kiss on his cheek. "I will be right here when you do." She sat back in her chair and held his hand.

She sat quietly, pondering over Booth's belief in God. She walked over to the window and looked out. She had a strange sensation, almost as if she was being watched, she turned and looked at Booth, and his eyes were still closed. She admired his ability to believe in something with a blind faith. That was not something she had ever been able to do and something felt she was missing out on something by not being able to.

She sighed and returned her gaze out the window. Her mind bounced through memorable times in the years that had known each other. The night the almost spent together when he fired her, Tony and Roxie, Buck and Wanda, and when he shot the clown on the ice cream truck. How he was always there to hold her when she didn't even think she needed to be held. How he always put her needs, wants, and desires before his own. Then the night he kicked in the door when she thought he didn't want her. How he kissed her, how he made love to her, and how she felt in his arms.

She returned to her chair beside his bed and took his hand. "Fight Booth fight" She laid her head down on the bed next to his hand and sleep claimed her.

* * *

><p>The Jeffersonian team sat in the waiting room, not talking just lost in their private thoughts. Cam was staring out the window, she had known Booth for a large majority of her life and even in her line of work the thought that he could die or be crippled in someway never crossed her mind, so she chose at this moment to refuse to believe anything bad could happen to Booth. He would be fine, he was Booth.<p>

Sweets sat in quiet contemplation of all the sessions he had with Booth and Brennan and how they had fought their feelings for so long. Well maybe Brennan did, Booth he could always see how he felt about her even when he denied it. He admired Booth, how much he loved her and how he waited, knowing she wasn't ready, knowing if he moved to soon it could destroy what they had. Even when Dr. Brennan would throw up walls, Booth continued to break them down, slowly one by one until she couldn't deny her feelings for him anymore. Of course it took her getting amnesia to wake her up, but she finally woke up.

Angela suddenly got up. I need to go to the Jeffersonian, "Brennan has some letters she wrote to herself that she needs and she needs now."

"Ange, she doesn't need them …"

She glared at Hodgins, "Yes she does, she needs to read them to Booth. I need to go get them now." Her eyes were red rimmed, large, and pleading, Hodgins couldn't deny her anything when she was like this.

"Okay, let's go." He put his arm around her waist. He looked at Sully, "Call us if there is a change before we get back." Sully nodded.

As Angela sat down behind Brennan's desk she read the first letter and smiled to herself. The amnesia had taught Brennan so much and she needed to hold on to what it taught her while she waited for Booth to return. She accidently knocked some papers aside and found a letter addressed to Bren in her own handwriting. Angela glanced around and opened the letter. As Angela read the letter to herself, her hand covered her mouth. "Oh my god" she whispered as he eyes teared up.

"Oh my god what?" Hodgins repeated as he walked into Brennan's office."

Angela smiled sweetly at him, "Nothing, let's get this lap top to Brennan."


	30. Chapter 30

When they arrived back the waiting room they looked to Sully for information and he just shook his head. Hodgins nodded slightly and turned to Angela "He's strong."

She looked down at the laptop she carried, "I know." She turned and headed for the nurses station. She requested that the laptop, the envelope and another folded piece of paper with instructions from Angela to Bren be taken to her. Angela was very clear that Brennan be told she needed to do what Angela instructed now.

As the nurse entered the room she noticed how Brennan was resting her head next to his hand and her one arm was draped across his thighs. She smiled to herself as she quietly placed the laptop and note on the portable tray table. She then left he room and made a mental note to check back later to make sure the woman had noticed the laptop.

When Brennan woke up she looked up at Booth for any signs he might have woke up while she had been asleep. Seeing none she gently placed her hand on his arm. "You rest, let your body heal, but Seeley Booth, I am not going anywhere." She stood to stretch and she saw the laptop on the portable tray table along with a folded note that say "Read first" on it.

She opened the note and immediately recognized Angela's elegant writing.

_Bren,_

_You told me you wrote letters to yourself and that if this you ever came back to_  
><em>make sure you read them. I was to tell you that even if you remembered what<em>  
><em>you wrote and why that I was to make you read them anyway. You told me<em>  
><em>knowing you wrote them was not the same. You knew this you needed to<em>  
><em>read them for them to have an impact.<em>

_So Bren, read them, read them to Booth. Then I want you to search deep inside_  
><em>for what you learned, you will know what do to from there.<em>  
><em>Start with the letters in the laptop, they are in order, the envelope is last. I am<em>  
><em>here, if you need me.<em>

_Love Ange._

Brennan slowly opened the laptop and pushed the power button. While she waited for it to power up she thought back to writing the letters, she thought about what each one said. She remembers telling Angela to make sure she read them. She did not see the point in reading them, but at this particular moment there wasn't much else she could do.

As she opened the first file she glanced up at Booth and then leaned back in her chair and propped her feet against his bed. She started to read the letter to Booth.

_"Dear Self,_

_I don't know the side of you I am writing this for. I have been told about_  
><em>your logic and the way you see the world. But, if you ever read this you<em>  
><em>need to know there is more than science."<em>

"You know Booth; I don't understand how this will help me. I know what is in these letters I wrote them, after all. Science can answer so many things, I am not sure what I was thinking when I wrote that sentence." She sighed and continued.

_"I believe you had it once, a long time ago. Why do I think this? Because I_  
><em>am you and I can love and feel without the need to explain how.<em>

"I feel, I just understand what chemical reactions cause the feelings and I don't think there is anything wrong with educating people on that."

_"You, me, us, we love Booth"_

She looked up at Booth then back down at the words on the screen. She swallowed hard as she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She read the next part in silence and thought about not reading it to Booth. But something gnawed at her and told her she needed to say the words out loud.

_"I loved him from the start so I know you must_  
><em>too. If you read this don't apply science to him, don't examine him or try<em>  
><em>to explain your physical reaction to him, just let him hold you and just<em>  
><em>feel."<em>

As she read the words tears streamed down her face and her voice choked, but she said the words, her emotions ran wild as she remember how it felt to be in his arms.

_"Science and faith can live in harmony if you, we just let them. They each have their_  
><em>place. Booth is not part of your science, our feelings for him, the unexplainable<em>  
><em>twinges we get when we think about him are not science. They are love, pure<em>  
><em>love.<em>

_Love creates, science dissects._

_From Me"_

When she finished reading the letter, she looked up at Booth, "Science doesn't dissect, it explains. Love can't create; it is not a tangible thing. She felt her chest tighten up as she looked at Booth. She blinked several times as she tired to find a way to explain how and why her chest felt tight when she looked at Booth and thought of the possibility of what could happen when he woke up.

She took a deep breath and moved on to the next letter

_"Dear Self,_

_ I spent the morning thinking about Booth's beliefs. Oh I know you probably  
><em>_think that is silly, however, it is very important to me to try and understand  
><em>_what he believes in and why?_

_I thought about the day he took me to church,  
><em>_I came out of there feeling good and contemplating the people that I observed  
><em>_during the ceremony. Their belief in something or someone that had never  
><em>_been seen was remarkable. Their trust in words in a book about the nature of  
><em>_this being._

_ I find myself wanting to share in that belief, not necessarily in Booth's God, but  
><em>_in something that you trust in without proof, but I am not sure what that would be.  
><em>_I do know that I would like you to consider spending more time with Booth during  
><em>_the ceremonies if for nothing else but to study what they people do, called  
><em>_praying. To do this, we can not inform everyone God does not exist. We have to  
><em>_respect their beliefs as we expect people to respect ours. Honestly, in this case  
><em>_it does not matter who is right or wrong._

_ Don't forget to tell Booth you love him (without explaining the chemical reaction)_

_ Love creates, science dissects._

_ From Me"_

She fidgeted in her chair for several moments and then rose and opened the door to Booth's room and asked a nurse for directions to the chapel. Once she had the directions she slipped back into Booth's room and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. "I will be back in a while."

As she walked into the little chapel she felt the way she had felt several times before. It was just a room with different art work. She looked around and remembered how Booth's face would transform when he entered a church. She couldn't even describe what happened, just a transformation occurred in him.

She walked to the front bench and sat down. She glanced around and thought back to Booth's actions when they had been in a church for him to pray. She mimicked one, She took her fingers and touched her forehead, then just below her sternum and then each shoulder, it was only then that she realized it was a small 't' she made with that motion. She wasn't sure why it was important, but Booth did it each time he came into a church before he sat down on the bench, before and after prayed, and as he moved off the bench. She made a mental note to look up that motion.

As she sat staring around the small chapel she thought about the necklace Booth wore. It was a medallion type charm, but for the life of her she could not remember what it was called. For how much she prided herself on her knowledge she found she was lacking in this area. She needed to find the time to study this more; it might help her understand Booth more. As she sat she never heard the person come up behind her. "Temperance", she jerked her head around to find her father.

"Dad, wha-what are you doing here?"

He smiled, "I could ask you the same question? I didn't think you believed in this?"

"I don't, but Booth does." She slid over so her father could sit next to her. "I came down here to try to do what Booth would do, but I don't know how?" Tears threatened her eyes. "He has to be alright Dad, he just has to be. I will try anything to help him."

Max took her hand, "Hey, I will help you if you want? It might not be perfect, but I am sure God will understand." She looked at him with grateful eyes and nodded. "Okay first we need to kneel on this. Then we will make the sign of the Cross." He shows her how.

"Oh the small 't', I did that when I sat down, I had seen Booth do it."

Max chuckled, "That is the sign of the cross. He touched his forehead "The father", he touched below his sternum "The Son", and then he crossed from shoulder to shoulder "and the Holy spirit". She copied him and then folded her hands like he did. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. She watched him intently waiting for him to tell her what to do.

"Dad? What are you doing?"

"Praying"

"How?"

"Just close your eyes and say what you feel from your heart." She understood what he meant, so there was no reason for her to go into how the heart could not feel.

"Out loud?"

"You can move your lips, but no you don't say it out loud, just think it."

"Okay" She watched her father go back to his praying position. She straightened her body to match his, rested her elbows on the railing in front of her and bent her head resting it against her hands. She studied her father's posture and once she was sure she was in the right position, she turned her head down and closed her eyes and started to think to herself.

_"Booth's God, He believes in you and he is a good man.  
><em>_I think you should make sure he is okay.  
><em>_Boy do I feel really silly doing this, having this inner  
><em>_dialogue with an imaginary person. Tempe, stop that,  
><em>_Booth believes in this, you can try harder for him.  
><em>_Dear Booth's God, I am no good at this, mainly because  
><em>_I don't believe you exist and I have never done this praying  
><em>_stuff. But he believes in you with his whole being. Believe in  
><em>_something like you with no tangible proof is a faith most can  
><em>_not understand, but I sound like an idiot."_

She growled and she blew out air in frustration, pursed her lips and rolled her eyes as she turned her head looking around the small room.

Max reached over and took her hands. She raised her eyes to him. "Let me help." He held hands with her. "God, Please look after Booth. He is a faithful follower of yours and protector of the innocent and champion to others. He was injured bringing a man to justice and had some complications. Please watch over him and help him make it through this." She followed him in doing the sign of the cross again and repeated the words he said, "In the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit. Amen." He leaned over and kissed her cheek, "See that wasn't so hard. Now you go back and sit with him, I think I will stay here and do some thinking."

She hugged her father tightly, "Thank you dad" She got up and left the small chapel turning one last time to look at her father and smiled.

She returned to Booth's bedside and sat down. "I went and prayed Booth, well Dad prayed I listened. I tried to do what you would do in this situation. If I was lying in that bed you would pray, so I prayed for you since you can't do it for yourself. I didn't do very well, but I think Dad did." She slid her hand into his, "Please wake up and be okay. I need to tell you I didn't mean what I said, I was angry and hurt and … and … Booth you have to be okay."

Brennan moved to look out the window and regain some composure while the nurse was in the room checking Booth's vitals. While she waited she thought about their years together and one day flashed in her mind. Something no one knew, not even Booth. The day the person blew up in front of a bank leaving evidence all over Booth. Evidence had to be preserved. And who better at preserving evidence than her, so she made it clear that to preserve the evidence properly she had to undress Booth. Except for the circumstances she can still remember the way he looked at her as she lifted his collar to get his tie off, how he looked at her and got flush when she unbuttoned his shirt and how he started to recite the saints as she removed his pants. She also remembered how it felt to be that close to practically naked Booth, she shivered at the thought. Back then she could ignore it, but her amnesia changed that, it changed a lot of things. A smile crept across her face. She let the smile rest there for a few moments before she returned to her chair next to his bed. This was probably not the kind of thing you should be thinking about after prayer.


	31. Chapter 31

Max entered the waiting area where the team was sitting. They all turned in hopes he had some news for them. He shook his head. He made his way over to Sully and sat down.

"How is she doing Max?"

"This has her really scared. I found her in the chapel trying to figure out how to pray." Sully eyes got wide and as quietly as Max had said it several heads amongst the team snapped in his direction.

"Max did we hear you right?" Max looked Cam in the eyes. "Dr. Brennan was in the chapel praying."

"Not exactly" Max corrected, "She was trying to figure out how to pray. You know Tempe, she has to study everything and analyze it."

"Her feelings for Agent Booth, the words that she said to him and his current condition must be causing her a great deal of inner turmoil if she is praying." Sweets said. All heads turned towards him.

"What do you mean her words to him?" Max inquired.

Sweets realized he had opened his mouth when he shouldn't have. Not sure how much everyone knew he started from the beginning. Agent Booth had her drugged and locked her in a holding cell at the Hoover building while him, Sully, and Agent McClure went out to get Sanders." Cam and Angela's eyes mirrored each other as they turned their faces to stare at each other. "Agent Booth called while they were waiting to try to talk to her and she told him they were done and hung up on him. The next call was that he had been shot."

Angela placed her hand over her mouth I shock. "Oh poor Bren must be falling apart." She looked around at all of them and she quietly got out of her chair and made her way towards Booth's room. If she was careful she might get in without any one seeing her.

Brennan startled as she heard the door to his room open, a nurse had left no long ago she was no expecting another one. She turned to see Angela pop through the door. "Angela you're not suppose to be here?"

"Oh sweetie, I had to check on you. Are you okay?"

Brennan looked at her friend strange. "Of course Angela, my health is just fine."

"Sweetie that is not what I mean and you know it."

Brennan fidgeted while she diverted her eyes from Angela's. "Angela I did something. Booth tried to call me and I told him we were done, it was over and now I might not ever be able to take that back. I didn't mean it, I was just angry, my pride was hurt."

"Sweetie, he knows" Brennan looked up into Angela's eyes, "He knows you better than I think you know yourself sometimes."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Now you talk to him and keep talking to him, bring him back to you."

"Angela …"

"Read those letters to him."

"I did."

"Then read them again. Talk to him about what you want when he gets out of here. Sweetie, this case if over, no one has to hide, you have your memory back. You and him can finally make some plans. Tell him what you want those plans to be."

"Angela you know that I, or should I say she, the less logical me wants to marry him."

"What does this you think about that?"

"It scares me."

"Do you love him?"

"Yes of course I do."

"Do you remember what it has been like living with him all this time?"

"Yes" a smile came to her face as she thought about them living together.

Angela pulled out a compact and opened it. "Look in the mirror." She held the mirror up so Brennan could see the smile. "That is what happens when you think about him on the outside. Think about what you feel on the inside that prompts this. I think that will give you your answer."

A nurse opened the door and came in she looked back and forth between Angela and Brennan. "I am sorry, but you" she pointed at Angela "need to leave."

"That is fine, Bren don't forget what I said." Angela stood and headed for the door and stopped in front of the nurse. In a barely audible voice "Sometimes she needs a pep talk, can you keep an eye on her and if she needs one please let me know." The nurse smiled and nodded. Angela headed back for the waiting area.

* * *

><p>She read a couple more letters to him and then looked the envelope that contained the last letter. She remembered writing it; she remembers sending it and putting it on her desk under some things. She knew what it said and what it said petrified her more than anything. She didn't understand how the person that wrote it, her, was so at ease with it and ready for that step and the person receiving it, her again only slightly different, was ready to run.<p>

She heard her own voice in her head talking rather forcibly to her._ "Read the letter read it to him. READ IT."_ She cleared her throat "Booth I wrote this the day Angela and I cleaned my apartment before we moved in."

"_Dear Self, _

_ I noticed part of you slipped through today. While I know this is progress and  
><em>_should be considered a good thing, it scared me._

_I am sure when you read this you will not agree with me and will come up with all kinds of logic to avoid it and rationalize why it is __not__ an option.  
><em>_It is the only option. I want this and if I want this you want this. This will make us happy, happier than you can imagine, but you need to take the leap. I am ready and I want to, but I am afraid you will destroy it if you come back, so I am making you do it._

_I am sure you will fight it, I am sure you will try to push it from your mind, but I won't let you, I will be under the surface and I will not allow you forget. I will  
><em>_not allow you to take this from us. __I am sure you will return, you are strong, it is just a matter of time. So you are the one that has to do this. I could, but it would not have the same meaning._

_You will ask Booth to marry us. You will tell him that you believe in happy ever after and love eternal. No more logic, no more science, we love him and we want to spend the rest of our lives as his wife. _

_Love creates – science dissects _

_Me"_

"So there you go Booth, I am suppose to ask you to marry me. We know how I feel about marriage. I am having a really hard time understand how I can love you no matter what, but can be terrified of marriage to you when this other person or other me is perfectly okay with it?"

Booth's mind screamed_. "__You are suppose to ask me to marry you? WHOA, negative ghost rider, the pattern is full. That is what I am suppose to do. Do you hear me Bones? BONES?"_

Booth mumbled and she jumped in her chair, "Booth?" she stood and stroked his hair "Booth" When he didn't respond she picked up his hand and arm and sat on the edge of the bed next to his waist and just held his hand. She had her head down and her eyes closed, just feeling the warmth of his skin and listening to him breath and the sounds of the machines.

She froze for a second as she opened her hands and looked at his hand lying in hers, she could have swore one of his fingers moved against her skin. "Come on Booth, try again, move your finger for me." She watched and nothing, she shook her head she must be so desperate that she is confusing involuntary muscle movements for signs.

She moved back to her chair and rested her head in her hands while she had her elbows resting on her knees. She rubbed her head and the back of her neck trying to relax and release some of the tension that had built up.

* * *

><p>While he was trying to force his eyes to open he heard a female voice from the door that he didn't know. "Temperance, how is he?"<p>

"Rebecca … He is about the same, no better, no worse."

"Do you mind if Parker comes in, he is pretty insistent on seeing his father."

"No, if you are okay with it, he has every right to be here if he wants to. He understands all the equipment hooked up to Booth doesn't he."

"I prepared him the best I could. I thought there might be some things you would have to explain." Brennan pulled her lips into a thin line and nodded.

Booth heard the door open and close. "Hey Bones" Booth heard Parkers sad voice.

"Hi Parker, Come on over here and you can climb up on this side of his bed to sit if you would like."

"Bones is Dad going to be okay?" Brennan looked up at Rebecca not knowing how to answer this.

"Parker" Rebecca began, "We talked about this …"

"I know mom, but I want to know what Bones thinks, she is the smartest person I know and she won't tell me something if it isn't true." He turned his eyes back to her. "So Bones, is Dad going to be okay?"

"Parker" Brennan breathed out, "You father was hurt worse than they initially thought and that caused some complications. But …" she looked down at her hands for a moment to collect her thoughts, "your Dad is very strong and he has all of us, you, your mom, me, and the whole Jeffersonian team pulling for him. And … it has been 24 hours, which is good; the first 24 to 48 hours are the most crucial." She left out the part that it was a bad sign that Booth had not woke up yet. She gave him a smile, one that she hoped did give away her small deception.

Booth was proud at how Bones explained things to Parker. There was a time when she would have blurted out information not appropriate for someone Parkers age, hell who was he kidding it wasn't appropriate for most people. She had come a long way in the time they had worked together.

Parker studied her face for a while. "Do you love Dad Bones?"

"PARKER"

"MOM, I just asked a question."

"A rather personal question."

"It is okay." Brennan said as she took Parkers hands in hers "Yes Parker, I do love your father very much. I thought you already knew this."

"Tell him Bones; it might give him a reason to wake up and don't say it like you are examining a skeleton, say it from here," he tapped her on the chest.

Brennan eyes were filling with tears, but she couldn't help but chuckle as she looked from Parker to Rebecca, who was covering her face with her hands. "He is definitely his fathers son isn't he?" Rebecca couldn't help but chuckle and nod.

Booth chuckled in his mind thinking of his boy telling Bones what she needed to do. He had to wake up. He concentrated on opening his eyes, but again they didn't want to cooperate. _"Tired, so tired. Bones I love you, so very tired, going to take a nap Bones."_ Booth slipped into the darkness again.

Parker watched his Dad's face for a long time. "You know Bones, I knew you loved my dad, I have known for a long time."

Rebecca dropped her head into hands, "Oh my God, Parker that is enough."

Brennan smiled amusedly at Parker, "It is okay Rebecca. So you have known for a long time? How long is a long time?" Brennan was not prepared for the answer.

"Remember when Max helped with experiments at the lab?"

Brennan smiled, "Of course I remember that."

"When you and Dad were watching me make the pop explode?"

Her smile grew, "Yes"

"I knew then." Brennan's face turned to confusion.

"Parker, your father and I were just co workers then."

"No you weren't, you never have been. Just you didn't know it."

"I just didn't know it?"

"I think Dad knew, but he tried to fight it. He use to ask me what I thought about you." Rebecca was now sitting in a chair next to the bed listening and as Parker continued she dropped her head to the bed in defeat. Parker looked over at his mothers head when he felt it hit the bed, unconcerned he continued with what he was saying, "He tried to sound like he was just talking, but his voice was different, softer. It felt like he wanted to make sure I was okay with you being my step mom."

"Your father is so going to kill you Parker." Rebecca mumbled.

"MOM, stop, he is not. Bones loves him; he won't be able to be mad at me for months."

Brennan couldn't help but laugh. "Parker you might be correct in your assessment of your father and me. It took me getting amnesia to admit my feelings. I can't speak for your father, however, he has said he loved me from the day he first saw me. I think he called it love at first sight. He said he knew. But, you might want to re-evaluate your stand on your father getting angry with you."

Parker ignored her statement and pressed on, "Bones, do you know how long you have loved him."

"Temperance, I am so sorry. Parker when I get you home …."

"No Rebecca it is really okay. There are times when the honesty and forwardness of a child is just what someone needs to wake them up." She looked intently at Parker, took a deep cleansing breath and said, "I think I have always loved him, because thinking about it now and knowing how I feel, there hasn't been a time I didn't feel this way about him that I can recall anyway."

"Bones one more question?"

"What is that Parker?"

"Will you marry Dad so we can be a family so we don't have to go home alone after we spend the day with you?" Rebecca just looked at the ceiling and shook her head. Here her son was proposing for his father. So typical Boothy.

Brennan smiled and hugged Parker. "I think that is something your father and I need to discuss but I will make sure he is aware of your feelings involving the matter."

"Thanks Bones, I love you." he then leaned down and whispered in Booth ear and hugged him the best he could. He carefully climbed off the bed to avoid the wires and headed for the door. "Ready Mom?" Rebecca just looked at Brennan she opened her mouth to speak and then just closed it. She waved her hand as they left the room.

Booth emerged from the darkness just as his son was whispering in his ear. "She will say yes Dad." Then he heard and felt him climb off the bed and ask his mother if she was ready to leave. He heard the door close and he as once again alone with her. He could feel her there even if he couldn't see her.

_She will say yes? Who will say yes and to what?_ He wondered. Then a thought struck him and he groaned. _"Oh my god, did he propose to Bones?"_

Booth groaned and Brennan was by this side, her hand in his hand and her other hand stroking his hair. "Booth, come on Booth you can do it wake up."


	32. Chapter 32

Brennan continued to sit with Booth, re reading her letters to herself and then had discussions with Booth over them.

"Booth you believe everything happens for a reason don't you? You would say that my getting amnesia was all part of some greater plan. So Booth, what is the greater plan of you getting shot and laying here unconscious while I read you letters that my alter ego wrote to me?"

"I am guessing you would say something like" she clears her throat and puts on her best Boothy voice, "Well, Bones you know that this probably happened to reiterate what you wrote yourself in those letters. What I mean is to help you come to terms with your uncontrollable desire for me that you tried to ignore or shove aside for so long." She looked at Booth "Hey I did a pretty good you, now all I need a bunch of things to put in my pockets to play with and I could do a perfect impersonation of you."

Booth laid there screaming in his head _"I do not sound like that."_ Booth would cringed at the next thing she did if he could cringe, but all he could do was lay there and hope no one walked in and saw her.

He could hear her moving around the room and then it sounded like she jumped and land with both feet. Then she did it "Freeze, FBI, Special Agent Booth, Agent Booth, Special Agent Seeley Booth." Oh he wished he could open his eyes and see this, if she was nearly as funny as the image in his head. This was the side of Bones not many people saw. Most probably had no idea she could be silly. Then her voice crack, she had started to cry. His heart broke listening to her.

She moved back over to the bed, she lifted his right arm and sat next him, she lowered his arm over her legs, "Booth, I always told you I was okay alone and I was until I met you. I don't want to be alone anymore, please wake up." She lowered her head to his chest as she sob. "Please come back to me Booth. I love you and I need you."

She doesn't know how long she laid with her head on his chest when she noticed his arm was no longer laying across her legs, his hand was resting on her hip. She slowly raised her head and looked at his face, his eyes were barely open. "Booth?" Her breath quickened as he slowly moved his eyes to hers. "Booth" she put her hand on his cheek as more tears streaked her face, only these were tears of joy. "I am going to get a nurse, you stay right here." She moved off the bed and found the call button and pushed it. She moved her eyes back to his.

As the nurse came in Bones started to back away from the bed and Booth squeezed her hand causing her too look into his eyes. There was a question in his eyes. "I will be here Booth, I am not going anywhere. Just going out to let everyone know and give the doctors and nurses times to check you." She smiled at him and then left the room.

* * *

><p>Before she walked into the waiting area, she took a deep breath. She still didn't know if there was brain damage and she didn't care, he was awake, the rest she would deal with as it came. She walked into the waiting room and all eyes turned to her. They all must have seen the relief on her face as they all relaxed after they looked at her.<p>

"He is awake, the nurses are in there now and the doctors will come in and check him out."

"Tempe, how is he?" Sully asked the question

"To early to tell if he has any brain damage, but he is awake and he seems to know me, those are good signs. The rest we can deal with as it comes if we need to." She smiled at her friends.

She checked with the nurses station as to how long they would be with Booth and only after assurance of the time she walked with Angela to the Cafeteria. "Sweetie, he is going to be fine. He is awake and I am sure he will be Booth, all Booth."

"Thanks Ange, now you go home and get some rest. And Ange … I can't tell you what it meant to me to have you be here during this."

"That's what families do Bren." Angela smiled as she turned to join her husband and leave.

Brennan as shocked to see Sully still in the waiting room as she returned, "Sully?"

"Hey Tempe"

"What are you still doing here?"

"Wanted to check to see if you needed anything, magazines, change of clothing, a shoulder?"

She smiled and hugged Sully, "Thank you for everything; I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Tempe, I know I won't get you to go home and rest, not yet anyway, but as soon as we know more, I am making you leave here. You will be no use to Booth if you collapse."

"I promise I will rest Sully and when I know he is stable I will go home to sleep in a real bed, but not before."

"One other thing .."

"What?"

"Sweets, you need to talk to him. Seems you were pretty difficult."

"I was locked in a cell after being drugged, anyone would have been difficult and he would not let me out."

"At Booth's and my orders, I backed Booth up on what he was doing. So as mad as you are or were with Booth, I share that responsibility."

"Right now is not the time to discuss it, maybe never, there are more important things occurring." She leaned over to Sully and pointed to the corner where one exhausted CIA agent had fallen asleep with the side of her face against the wall. "You need to get her home." He smiled and started to turn away from Brennan, she stopped him with her hand on his forearm. "Don't let her go Sully, she is good for you."

He smiled as he went over and gently started to prod Sally awake, "Hey lets get you out of here." She mumbled something into his shoulders as they both stood and he steered her towards the elevator. Brennan smiled as she watched them round a corner and go out of her line of sight. She turned and headed back toward Booth's room.

She was greeted with drugged Booth. "Bones Baby"

She smiled her best smile at him. "Hi Booth."

Booth kept looking at her and putting a goofy smile on his face. "God you are beautiful."

"I am quite beautiful, thank you." She reached for the TV remote to find him some sports to watch.

She found a hockey game. The drugs started to make Booth drowsy. "Hockey Bones."

"I know Booth." She sat back in the recliner next to his bed and soon her eyes were heavy. "Rest, just a little rest" she mumbled as she reached to take his hand. Booth's eyes slid shut as he felt her hand slip into his. They both rested peacefully for the first time in the last 48 hours.

* * *

><p>The nurse opened the door to check on Booth. She smiled as she noticed they were both sleeping peacefully, their hands intertwined. The nurse did the minimum she had to so she could allow them to sleep a little longer. As she exited the room she almost collided with Booth's doctor. "Dr. Hoffman, excuse me." She didn't move from in front of the door.<p>

"Well" Dr. Hoffman said with raised eyebrows

"Can you let make them last on your rounds schedule."

His eyes narrowed at her, "And why is that?"

"They are both resting peacefully, the first time since this happened, seems a shame to disturb them."

He glanced at the door and nodded. "Okay I can give them some time."

The nurse smiled as Dr. Hoffman moved to the next room. She remembered how devoted and protective Booth was of Brennan when she was here months earlier and she saw the same level of devotion from Brennan to him. The least she could do is allow them to rest peacefully as long as she could.

* * *

><p>Bones stretched and she slowly opened her eyes. She pulled her hand away from his and got up and walked over to look out the window. For the first time in the last couple of days she did not feel scared, worried, panic, or any other number of emotions she had been feeling. She just felt content and happy now, Booth was awake, nothing else mattered.<p>

"Hey beautiful" she heard a raspy voice from behind her.

She turned and smiled at him, "Well Hello Stranger, I have missed you."

Booth started to look around and then he saw the glass on the side table. He looked at it and made a half hearted effort to reach it. He looked at Bones and put on his best pity me voice "Can you get that glass for me?" he shot her the puppy dog eyes just for effect.

She walked over and got his glass and poured some fresh cold water into it. As he reached for the glass she pulled it back slightly causing him to look at her face. "And if you think I am falling for that again you should rethink that." She smirked at him as he gave her the aww come on look. He drank his water slowly as per the doctors' orders.

"Bones you're staring." He raised his eyes to her

She glanced down at her lap. "I am just so glad you are okay."

"Oh"

The door opened and Dr. Hoffman came in. Good morning you two. Agent Booth, nice to see you back among us.

"That just sounded creepy" Booth observed.

Hoffman let out a laugh, "Yes it did, didn't it." He listened to Booth's heart, checked his wounds and then looked down at his chart.

"Well doc when can I go home?"

"You just woke up; give it a day or two." Hoffman said as he continue to look over his chart. Brennan watched him intently, usually doctors didn't study charts unless there was something wrong.

"Dr. Hoffman?" she said as she subconsciously reached for Booth's hand.

"Hmmm"

"Is there something wrong?"

He looked up and saw the look of concern on Brennan's face. "Dr. Brennan, I apologize, I was looking over the notes the nurses have made, I was just making sure I didn't miss anything." He turned his attention back to Booth. "So Agent Booth, I am going to ask you a series of questions, if you could please answer them."

"Alright."

"Do you know who this lovely lady is?" he motioned to Brennan

Booth looked confused, "Of course I know who she is."

"Would you mind telling me?" Hoffman prodded. Booth looked at Dr. Hoffman and Brennan.

"Booth, just answer the questions, I will explain after." She encouraged him.

"She is Bones."

"Bones?"

"My nickname for her, her real name is Dr. Temperance Brennan."

"Okay, who is the president?"

"Obama"

"Okay, do you know what year it is?"

"Yeah, 2011"

"Okay I think that is enough for now."

"Why the twenty questions?"

"Agent Booth, you had complications during surgery where you brain was deprived of oxygen and there was a possibility of brain damage. While it appears there is nothing wrong with your ability to speak and recall things, I would like to check your strength and reflexes next." Booth just stared at Hoffman and then at Brennan.

Dr. Hoffman checked Booths grip and ability to push and pull with his legs. He was confident that Booth's left arm if it wasn't injured would perform well also. His next step was to be up and walking around and then home. Booth was all for this, as soon as the doctor left, Booth started to throw back the covers.

"Booth what are you doing?"

"I am going to walk, he said when I could walk around then I can go home. I was shot in the arm and chest Bones, not the legs."

"Booth, I don't know if this is a good idea, you go to fast and …" Booth slid his feet on to the cool floor and pushed off the bed with this good arm.

"Bones get that IV bag."

She was reaching for the IV bag when he took a couple of steps. Then he took a deep breath and his Body reminded him who was boss. Pain shot through the left side of his chest. Bones was there wrapping her arms around him trying to support him as they stumbled backwards into the bed.

"Booth, I tried to warn you." She said still trying to support him as he was barely propped on the edge of the bed. She managed to push the call button. A few moments later a nurse came in.

"Oh good lord what is going on?"

"He tried to get up and walk."

"ORLANDO ORLANDO GET IN HERE!" The nurse yelled

In walked a young man that looked like he bench pressed cars for fun. He effortlessly lifted Booth back into bed. Booth just stared at him through eyes mixed of awe and pain. The nurse left the room and came back with a syringe. She pushed the clear liquid from the syringe into Booth's IV. Brennan watched as his body relaxed and his eyes glazed over.

"Well no walking for you just yet Booth." She said as she tucked the blankets around him. Then she turned and thanked the nurse and Orlando for his help.

Booth was still staring at Orlando and continued to stare at the empty space in the doorway when Orlando walked out of it. "Bones, what was that?"

"That was Orlando, Booth."

"Wow"

Brennan took a deep breath and sat down next to Booth on the bed and just watched him.

"Bones?"

"Yes, Booth."

"Did Parker propose to you?" he mumbled

"Booth we can talk about this later."

"Boooonnnneees tell me."

She creased her brow, how much did he hear that day? "Yes he did. How much …"

"I was suppose to ask … you told me … never …" The drugs did their job and put him to sleep. She watched him wondering just how much he was aware of what occurred in that room when he was unconscious.


	33. Chapter 33

**And here is the end. This started out as a story about how amnesia could change Bones point of view on thing. And it turned into a roller coaster ride that sometimes I had no idea where it was going.**

* * *

><p>Booth had been home a week, he was feeling much better, doctor still had some limitations on what he could do, mainly due to the nature of his injury and the way it needed to heal. This made Booth fidgety, Bones was back to work and he was stuck at home. Not allowed to lift anything over 5 lbs, not allowed to over reach, not allowed to do this or that. There is only so much TV a man can watch.<p>

So Booth took it upon himself to tidy up around the apartment. Be useful, clean out the medicine cabinet of expired medicine. Clean out the refrigerator, under the sinks, maybe mop and vacuum.

Refrigerator cleaned – check  
>Under the kitchen sink cleaned – check<br>Floor swept and mopped – check  
>Guest room dusted and vacuumed – check<br>Front closet gone through – check  
>That is where my old bowling ball went<br>Guest Bath clean and mopped – check  
>Clean towels put out<p>

"Now for the master bath" Booth said to himself, "Should start under the sink and then the medicine cabinet."

As he sat on the floor he pulled everything out and wiped down under the sink then started to go through everything as he placed it back under the sink, making sure it was something they still needed and/or what expired. He came across a sack and opened it up, pulled out the boxes inside and frozen. He stared at the box for a few moments and then looked in the sack and pulled out the receipt and another item. The receipt was dated not long ago, about the same time she was talking in her sleep.

He turned the other item over in his hand and he could feel his heart racing as he did. Negative. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Negative meant that they would have more time to spend with just each other. But the thought of having a baby with her would be the ultimate gift. He carefully started to put everything back in the bag when he stopped and started to count backwards to when he last remembered Brennan having a cycle and when she would have taken this test.

They had used precautions … sometimes. He shook his head if it happened then God meant for it to happen now, if it didn't, then it wasn't the right time for them. He put everything back in the bag and carefully placed it back under the sink. He finished up the bathroom, took a quick shower and decided to go see Parker, he hadn't really had any time alone with him and wanted to talk to him. Parker got an "A" on his science test and had been holding good grades in his other classes, so Booth decided to take him to lunch.

As they sat down in the Park with the pizza they got from the food cart, Booth turned to Parker and as gently as he could asked him about his visit at the hospital. Parker looked confused at him.

"I thought you were asleep Dad and couldn't hear anything."

"Sometimes I could hear stuff. I heard you come in and how you explained to Bones to talk to me. Then I don't remember anything until you hugged me good bye." Booth studied his son for a moment, Parker continued to munch on his pizza unaffected. "Do you remember what you said to me?"

"Yeah, I said she would say yes."

"Who would say yes and to what?"

"Bones Dad, Bones would say yes."

"Yes to what?"

"Yes to marrying you."

"So you proposed to Bones for me?"

"I guess I did."

"And did she say she would?"

"No, she said that was between you and her and she would let you know what I wanted."

"And what do you want?"

"I think you should marry her Dad. That way when we spend the day with her we wouldn't have to go home after, we would be home."

Booth laughed, "I like your logic Parker."

"I told her you loved her and that I knew she loved you back when Max was teaching me to make pop explode."

"Parker, Bones and I were just partners back then. I dated other people."

"She said that too" he shook his head "adults. You use to ask me about Bones all the time and your voice was all soft and dreamy." Parker looked at his dad and batted his eyes.

"My voice is never soft and dreamy."

"It is when you talk about Boooonnnnes."

"Parker!"

"It is" he giggled at his Dad. "I knew she loved you back then, she just didn't know it. So did she say yes?"

"Parker, I didn't ask her."

"Why not?"

"Because … it's complicated."

"No it isn't, just ask her."

"I can't just walk up to Bones and ask her."

"Walk up to me and ask me what?"

"BONES" Parker went running into her arms "What are you doing here?"

"I was just heading to drop off some stuff at my publisher and decided to stop here for a moment and I saw you two. So what are you two doing and what did you need to ask me?"

"Bones, Dad wants to ask you to …"

"Go out to dinner tonight." Booth rushed the question

"Are you sure you are up to it? It would be nice to get out of the apartment if you think you are up to it? But staying in is okay too, I enjoying spending evenings at home with you."

Parker looked between Brennan and Booth. Booths eyes widened as he looked at Brennan and motioned towards Parker. He covered Parkers ears "Young ears"

Parker pulled away from his dad and his eyes sparkled like his Dad's when he knew a secret. "Dad you told Bones you love her" Both adults turned and looked at Parker "Dad that is the hard part." Booth tried to grab Parker, but he ducked behind Brennan.

"Parks come here now."

"Dad just ask her …" he ducked his dad grasp again "like this … Bones will you marry us?" Booth had been right in front of Brennan trying to reach around her for Parker when Parker popped the question and pushed Brennan in the butt so she bumped into his dad. Booth wrapped his arms around her as she landed against his chest. They both just stared at each other. "Now Bones …" Parker said as he watched her intently, "Earth to Bones" he tugged on her shirt causing her to look down at him "Say yes." She raised her eyes back to Booth

"Um, I-I … I"

Booth made sure Brennan's feet were under her then turned to his son, "Parker that is not the way you ask a lady to marry you. There is so much more involved and it should be special. And Bones deserves the full treatment when I ask her to marry me, because she is one of …"

"Yes" Both Booth's jerked their heads in her direction. "Yes, yes Booth ... having amnesia and then you being shot has made me look at life and life decision differently. I am scared, the statistic's around divorce …"

"Shh Bones, don't think, don't analyze, just feel. You really will marry me?"

"Us Dad!"

He couldn't take his eyes off her, "Yeah right us."

"She smiled at him; "Yes I will marry you" she looked down at Parker briefly, then back at Booth, "both of you."

Booth leaned in and his lips brushed her, "You have made me the happiest man alive" then his mouth covered hers as Parker fist pumped the air and yelled "YES!"


End file.
